Hello and welcome to another documentary issue of POVwinona! Our prior issue focused on documentaries from the 2019 Frozen River Film Festival, and continuing with that theme, Film Studies students share their takes on five additional contemporary documentaries. With topics as far-ranging as filmmaking, serial killers, docu-thrillers, war, pop culture, and lifestyle, these recent films show the range and versatility of documentary form.
Brynn Artley examines the quirky, idiosyncratic Shirkers, Sandi Tan’s look back at the puzzling and abrupt disappearance of Georges Cardona and the decade of footage for the narrative film she and her friends made with him in 1992. Continuing with the motif of a life-long mystery storyline, Noah Mruz reviews the Netflix docu-series Conversations With a Killer: the Ted Bundy Tapes. It follows investigators as they attempt to track down a “normal looking” serial killer in the Washington State area. Next, Harrison McCormick explores They Shall Not Grow Old— a fantastically restored and pieced together documentary revolving around WWI footage using to state-of-the-art technology.
Our last two articles look at documentaries that explore popular culture and lifestyle trends. Amy Stoulil examines Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, which explores the minimalist lifestyle in response to U.S. consumerist culture. And in our final contribution, McKenna Scherer takes a look at the social dynamics of the pop-culture icon, Barbie. Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, a film about the making of the iconic Mattel toy doll, its evolution over the decades, and its effect on consumers.
In this age of festivals and streaming services dominating the documentary landscape, nonfiction filmmaking is as varied and enjoyable a genre as any. Every one of these recent documentaries is well worth a watch, and we hope your find our thoughts worth a listen.
–Hailey Torborg and Brinley Zoller, Guest Editors
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