Classify:

There is no fixed unified standard for the classification of documentaries, and they are generally divided into the following categories according to the different themes and methods of expression:

Political

A documentary that uses real images to make arguments. It gives full play to the technical and artistic advantages of the film, and uses visual materials to demonstrate, showing that the characteristics of imagery and speculation complement each other. The materials used can be realistic or historical, and are not limited by time; taking "The Truth of the Sino-Indian Border Issue" as an example, the sources of materials can be from the Chinese, Indian, British, and other aspects, and therefore, they are not limited by the sequence of events themselves. In addition to the authenticity of the materials, the rigor of the argumentation, and the distinctness of the viewpoint, political documentaries pay special attention to the unity of image and science.

Current affairs reportage

Refers to a documentary that reports on a recent news event, and is of the same nature as a newsreel. However, the scope of the report is not limited to one event, and the structure is relatively complete. For example, "Historical Commemoration", which reported on the 70th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, and "Struggle", which reported on the women's volleyball competition, etc.

history

Refers to a documentary that reproduces historical events from a bygone era. The characters and events it depicts must accurately reflect history as it is, and cannot violate the truth of history, and cannot be played by actors. Historical film data, historical photographs, artifacts, relics, or works of art can be used for filming. The film should have documentary value. Such as "Xinhai Fengyun", "The Decisive Battle of Two Destinies", "Huaihai Thousand Autumns" and so on.

biography

Refers to a documentary photograph that records the life of a person or the experience of a certain period. It differs from general current affairs reports or historical documentaries in that it is centered on specific characters, and no actors are allowed to play them, and there are no fictional plots and characters. Such as "Poet Du Fu", "The Great Sun Yat-sen", "Revolutionary Old Man He Xiangning", "*", "Ye Jianying" and so on. Portraits and sketches that depict only a certain aspect of a certain character also fall into this category.

life

It refers to documentary photos that record various situations and states of people's real life. This is different from other documentaries because the content does not require actors to participate in the performance at all, but reflects real people and real events.

Human Geography Film

It refers to a documentary that explores the natural conditions of a certain area, or introduces social customs, urban and rural features. Such as "Wonders of Yellow Mountain", "Roaming Qaidam", "Tulin Exploration" and so on.

stage

Refers to a documentary that records a live stage performance. On-site filming of stage performances such as singing and dancing, drama, and quyi may be cut or abridged as needed, but the content of the performance cannot be adapted or added, so as to distinguish it from stage art films adapted from stage programs. Such as "Folk Song and Dance", "Friendship Stage" and so on. China's first color stage documentary was "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai" in 1953.