A key collection of essays that looks at the specific issues related to the documentary form. Questions addressed include What is documentary?' and How fictional is nonfiction?'

Chapter 1 Introduction, Michael Renov; Chapter 2 Toward a Poetics of Documentary, Michael Renov; Chapter 3 The Documentary Film as Scientific Inscription, Brian Winston; Chapter 4 Document and Documentary, Philip Rosen; Chapter 5 ), pp. 29-50., Trinh T. Minh-ha; Chapter 6 Jargons of Authenticity (Three American Moments), Paul Arthur; Chapter 7 Constantly Performing the Documentary, Susan Scheibler; Chapter 8 (Not) Looking for Origins, Ana M. López; Chapter 9 Notes on AIDS and its Combatants, Bill Horrigan; Chapter 10 "Getting to Know You...", Bill Nichols;