A documentary of the Mind: Self, Cognition and Imagination in Anders Østergaard's film

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Though the complexity of documentary genres is acknowledged in documentary theory, the fundamental role of narrative, emotion and imagination is often underestimated. This article deals with the fundamental role of these elements in our experience of reality and across the genres of fiction and non-fiction. Based on cognitive theories of emotion and the self, the article argues for a stronger focus on the embodied mind in documentary studies. The Danish documentary filmmaker, Anders Østergaard, has called his films “a documentary of the mind”. His films illustrate the theory of the embodied mind through a creative and narrative strategy, also found in documentaries in general. His films point to the importance of narrative and emotion for the understanding of the making of and reception of documentary.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCognitive Theory and Documentary Film
EditorsCatalin Brylla, Mette Kramer
Number of pages17
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Publication date1 Aug 2018
Pages21-37
Chapter2
ISBN (Print)9783319903316
ISBN (Electronic)9783319903323
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2018

ID: 171993968