This course is a study of non-fiction film practices internationally, beginning from the invention of cinema and ending in the contemporary landscape. Although the bulk of the class is organized chronologically, the course is divided into types of non-fiction filmmaking practices, including ethnographies, experimental non-fiction films, essay films, activist documentaries, and animated documentaries. Lectures, screenings, and discussions will be oriented around the theory of documentary filmmaking as well as an in-depth analysis of the films themselves. Requirements will include readings in film history and film analysis, short response papers, active participation, a research paper, and an optional creative assignment.