This is a quick guide for finding documentary films or doing research about documentary films. If you are a Claremont Colleges student, faculty, or staff member and you need further assistance, please email Meg Garrett, Media Studies Subject Specialist for the Libraries of The Claremont Colleges at meg.garrett@libraries.claremont.edu, or call x77101.

• Finding documentaries in Honnold
• Finding books in Honnold
• Finding reviews of documentary films
• Finding scholarly articles about documentary films
• Finding interviews with filmmakers

Finding documentaries in Honnold

Search Blais, the library catalog, under the TITLE of the film. If you don't have a specific title search SUBJECT Documentary Films. This retrieves books and videos/DVDs. Use Limit to FORMAT TYPE Videos/DVDs to limit to films.

Example:
Nanook of the North [videorecording] / produced by Robert J. Flaherty
HON AUDIOVISUAL  E99.E7 N3 1998

To check out a video or DVD, take the call number to the Honnold Circulation Desk and request the item.
Videos and DVDs may be viewed in the media players in the Search Center.

Finding books in Honnold

Search Blais, the library catalog, under the title of the book or search SUBJECT Documentary Films. This retrieves books and videos/DVDs. Use Limit to PUBLICATION TYPE Books to limit to books.  Use Limit by FORMAT TYPE Videos/dvds to limit to videos or dvds.

Book examples:

• Beyond document : essays on nonfiction film. HON  PN1995.9.D6 B48 1996
• A cinema of nonfiction / William Guynn. HON  PN1995.9 D6 G89 1990
• Documentary : a history of the non-fiction film / Erik Barnouw. HON   PN1995.9.D6 B37 1993
• Documenting the documentary : close readings of documentary film and video HON  PN1995.9.D6 D58 1998
• Introduction to documentary / Bill Nichols.   HON  PN1995.9.D6 N539 2001
• Nonfiction film : a critical history / Richard M. Barsam.  HON  PN1995.9.D6 B38 1992
• Theorizing documentary / edited by Michael Renov.   HON  PN1995.9.D6 T45 1993
• Writing, directing, and producing documentary films / Alan Rosenthal. HON   PN1995.9.D6 R65 1990

Video/dvd examples:

• America dances! 1897-1948 [videorecording] : a collector's edition of social dance in film. HON A/V GV1623.A44 2003 
• Bowling for Columbine HON A/V HV 7436 B59 2003

Finding reviews of documentary films

For reviews of recent films try these sources.

• IMDb: The Internet Movie Database. After searching the movie title, use the left menu and select External reviews. Links are provided for many recent Web reviews.
   
• MRQE Movie Review Query Engine. Search by title.

If reviews of the film you are studying are not in these sites, or you need more, see the Finding Media Reviews page on the Media Studies Subject Research Guide for other sources.

To find reviews in scholarly media studies journals use these indexes:

• Omnifile.  This index will retrieve some scholarly, some trade, and some popular reviews. Check the boxes for Art FullText and OmniFile. Search the film title in SUBJECT and in Document Type select either FILM REVIEW, VIDEO RECORDING REVIEW, VIDEOTAPE REVIEW, or VIDEODISC REVIEW as appropriate.
   
• The International Index to the Performing Arts. (IIPA) This will retrieve some scholarly and some trade reviews. Click the SEARCH link on the right menu, then search SUBJECT TERMS reviews and in KEYWORD use a word from the film title or the filmmakers name.

Finding scholarly articles about documentary films

Omnifile is a good place to start. Check the boxes for Art FullText and OmniFile.  Search documentary films as SUBJECT and Limit to Peer Reviewed Articles; or search the name of a film or the name of a filmmaker. Some articles may be available fulltext, others may be in paper journals at Honnold Library, and some are not here at Claremont, but may be requested through InterLibrary Loan. There is a Limit to Fulltext feature, and use the green “Get This Item” button to check Blais.

Example
TITLE:  Documentaries Can Dance: The passionate films of Les Blank
PERSONAL AUTHOR:  Dodge,-Chris
SOURCE:  Utne Reader no112 July/Aug 2002. p. 90

The International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA) contains scholarly articles and articles in trade and popular journals.   Click the SEARCH link on the right menu, then search SUBJECT TERMS Documentaries and click the box Peer-reviewed articles only at the top of the search page. To search the name of a film or the name of a filmmaker use the KEYWORD search. There is no fulltext or automatic Blais “Get this item” check.

• To find out if the journal article you need is in the Libraries of the Claremont Colleges, search Blais, the online catalog, by TITLE for the title of the journal (often labeled the "source" in the citation) NOT the title of the article. In the example above, search Utne reader.

Finding interviews with filmmakers

In Omnifile check the boxes for Art FullText and OmniFile. Search documentary films as SUBJECT and select Document type INTERVIEWS; or search the name of a filmmaker. Some articles may be available fulltext, others may be in paper journals at Honnold Library, or require InterLibrary Loan.

Example
TITLE:  The Importance of Historical Memory: An Interview with Patricio Guzman
PERSONAL AUTHOR:  Aufderheide,-Patricia
SOURCE:  Cineaste v 27 no3 Summer 2002. p. 22-5

The International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA) contains interviews as well.   Click the SEARCH link on the right menu, then search KEYWORD for the name of the filmmaker and SUBJECT TERMS Interviews.

Other sources

Use LINK+ to broaden your search for books.
See the Media Studies Subject Research Guide for more information.