Animated Documentary: Theory and Practice

The text explores the phenomenon of the animated documentary, a form that combines two seemingly contradictory film forms in its creative processes. It begins by examining the historical development and key milestones of animated documentary filmmaking, followed by an overview of the classification systems and analytical approaches that have shaped its study within documentary and film studies. The text also highlights foundational works and introduces prominent scholars who have pioneered the conceptualisation and systematisation of this relatively new, yet highly incisive and inventive form of filmmaking. In its analytical section, the text focuses on several notable examples from last year’s edition of Animateka, a festival that, through its dedicated programme of short animated documentaries, has for a decade devoted special attention to an overview of contemporary global production in this genre.

The integral version of this article can be found in the printed KINO!