Truth and Fiction in Documentary Film The style of documentary film has been used in films dating back to the 1900s. It was later a term that was used by John Grierson in his review of Robert Flaherty's 1926 film Moana. Documentary films are often considered films that show reality, tell stories about real events, and interview real people. But that doesn't mean that fiction doesn't exist in documentary films. Films such as Nanook of the North can tell a story that is perceived to be reality when in reality the events are staged or not true. This can be done through the editing process, script writing as well as camera work. Truth is a fuzzy concept and our understanding of reality is so subjective that the line between truth and fiction often becomes blurred." Documentary film, in the words of Bill Nichols, is one of the "discourses of sobriety" that include science, economics, politics and historical discourses which claim to describe “reality”, to tell the truth” (Jill and Ann-Louise, 80). Although this gives a very limited idea of ​​what non-fiction is and what it can be in cinema. Many documentary filmmakers attempt to change or improve a part of society in one way or another with their documentaries. In others, the goal is to entertain the audience in some way, while others attempt to uncover a hidden truth or mystery. Films such as Gray Garden directed by Albert and David Maysles in 1975 were a film about the daily lives of a mother and daughter who were reclusive socialites. The filmmakers used a direct cinematic approach that allowed mother and daughter to tell their own stories. No interviews or voiceovers were used, so we see their lives through their eyes and through their stories. Gray Gardens is an example... middle of paper ...... Cannes Film Festival but was not entered in competition, although in 2010 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation at the US National Movie Recording. It was placed on the register for its cultural, historical or aesthetic significance. Documentary films strive to tell a story about something real with real people and real events. Sometimes this is true and very well done in films like Gray Gardens, but with other films our perception of reality can become blurred. Searching for Sugar Man and Nanook of the North are two examples, they tell a true story but films like these tend to shape the truth. This is where the line between truth and fiction becomes blurred. So sometimes it becomes very difficult to determine whether it is a fiction film or not, but it is clear that there is a mixture of both..