In this Very Short Introduction, Patricia Aufderheide takes listeners along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling.

Beginning with an overview of the central issues of documentary filmmaking, Aufderheide focuses on several of its key subgenres, including public affairs films, government propaganda (particularly works produced during World War II), historical documentaries, and nature films. Interwoven throughout are discussions of the ethical and practical considerations that arise with every aspect of documentary production.