Political Documentaries in North America, A Tool for Counter-information and Creating Political Identities

Abstract

This article looks at political documentary-making in North America in the early twenty-first century. U.S. American Michael Moore; Canadians Jennifer Abbot, Mark Achbar, and Joel Bakan, the directors of The Corporation (2003); and Mexican Carlos Mendoza, who heads up Canal 6 de Julio (television Channel July 6) all make critical documentaries questioning political systems and their effects. To understand the role of the documentary historically, the author looks at film theory and the headway made by video-activism. Her contribution consists of explaining the characteristics of certain historical processes of political denunciation and contemporary production of documentary cinema. 

Key words: political documentary, denunciation,