Making Documentary Films Reading Answers, IELTS Passage

Making Documentary Films Reading Answers: The IELTS Reading section evaluates a candidate’s ability to understand and analyze different types of texts. The passage "Making Documentary Films Reading Answers" is a commonly used topic that tests comprehension through various question formats. This passage includes three key types of questions: Matching Headings, Matching Features, and Summary Completion, requiring candidates to identify main ideas, connect information with relevant details, and fill in missing words from the passage.

 Here, we have compiled a total of 14 questions related to the "Making Documentary Films Reading Answers" passage. Practicing this passage will help improve reading skills and boost your IELTS Reading score.

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Making Documentary Films Reading Answers Passage

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Making Documentary Films

Paragraph A. For much of the twentieth century, documentary films were overshadowed by their more successful Hollywood counterparts. For a number of reasons, documentaries were frequently ignored by critics and film studies courses at universities. Firstly, the very idea of documentary film made some people suspicious. As the critic Dr Helmut Fischer put it, ‘Documentary makers might have ambitions to tell the “truth” and show only “facts” but there is no such thing as a non-fiction film. That’s because, as soon as you record an incident on camera, you are altering its reality in a fundamental way’. Secondly, even supporters of documentaries could not agree on a precise definition, which did little to improve the reputation of the genre. Lastly, there were also concerns about the ethics of filming subjects without their consent, which is a necessity in many documentary films.

Paragraph B. None of this prevented documentaries from being produced, though exactly when the process started is open to question. It is often claimed that Nanook of the North was the first documentary. Made by the American filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty in 1922, the film depicts the hard, sometimes heroic lives of native American peoples in the Canadian Arctic. Nanook of the North is said to have set off a trend that continued though the 1920s with the films of Dziga Vertov in the Soviet Union and works by other filmmakers around the world. However, that 1922 starting point has been disputed by supporters of an earlier date. Among this group is film historian Anthony Berwick, who argues that the genre can be traced back as early as 1895, when similar films started to appear, including newsreels, scientific films and accounts of journeys of exploration.

Paragraph C. In the years following 1922, one particular style of documentary started to appear. These films adopted a serious tone while depicting the lives of actual people. Cameras were mounted on tripods and subjects rehearsed and repeated activities for the purposes of the film. British filmmaker John Grierson was an important member of this group. Grierson’s career lasted nearly 40 years, beginning with Drifters (1929) and culminating with | Remember, | Remember (1968). However, by the 1960s Grierson’s style of film was being rejected by the Direct Cinema movement, which wanted to produce more natural and authentic films: cameras were hand-held; no additional lighting or sound was used; and the subjects did not rehearse. According to film writer Paula Murphy, the principles and methods of Direct Cinema brought documentaries to the attention of universities and film historians as never before. Documentaries started to be recognized as a distinct genre worthy of serious scholarly analysis.

Paragraph D. Starting in the 1980s, the widespread availability of first video and then digital cameras transformed filmmaking. The flexibility and low cost of these devices meant that anyone could now be a filmmaker. Amateurs working from home could compete with professionals in ways never possible before. The appearance of online film-sharing platforms in the early 2000s only increased the new possibilities for amateur documentaries were being made, perhaps the most popular documentary of 2006 was still the professionally made An Inconvenient Truth. New cameras and digital platforms revolutionised the making of films. But as critic Maria Fiala has pointed out, “The arguments sometimes put forward that these innovations immediately transformed what the public expected to see in a documentary isn’t entirely accurate”.

Paragraph E. However, a new generation of documentary filmmakers then emerged, and with them came a new philosophy of the genre. These filmmakers moved away from highlighting political themes or urgent social issues. Instead the focus moved inwards, exploring personal lives, relationships and emotions. It could be argued that Catfish (2010) was a perfect example of this new trend. The film chronicles the everyday lives and interactions of the social media generation and was both a commercial and critical success. Filmmaker Josh Camberwell maintains that Catfish embodies a new realization that documentaries are inherently subjective and that this should be celebrated. Says Camberwell, it is a requirement for documentary makers to express a particular viewpoint and give personal responses to the material they are recordiEg.

Paragraph F. The popularity and variety of documentaries today is illustrated by the large number of film festivals focusing on the genre around the world. The biggest of all must be the Hot Docs Festival in Canada, which over the years has showcased hundreds of documentaries from more than 50 different countries. Even older is the Hamburg International Short Film Festival. As its name suggests, Hamburg specializes in short films, but one category takes this to its limits – entries may not exceed three minutes in duration. The Short and Sweet Festival is a slightly smaller event held in Utah, USA. The small size of the festival means that for first timers this is the ideal venue to try to get some recognition for their films. Then there is the Atlanta Shortsfest, which is a great event for a wide variety of filmmakers. Atlanta welcomes all established types of documentaries and recognises the growing popularity of animations, with a category specifically for films of this type. These are just a few of the scores of film festivals on offer, and there are more being established every year. All in all, it has never been easier for documentary makers to get their films in front of an audience.

Making Documentary Films Reading Answer Sample Questions

Questions 1-6

The Reading Passage has six paragraphs (A–F).

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of Headings:
i. The impact of digital technology on documentary filmmaking
ii. The struggle for academic recognition
iii. The growing acceptance of documentary films
iv. The emergence of a new style in the 1960s
v. The origins and early history of documentary filmmaking
vi. The modern trend in documentary themes
vii. Documentary film festivals around the world

1. Paragraph A  _____
2. Paragraph B  _____
3. Paragraph C  _____
4. Paragraph D  _____
5. Paragraph E  _____
6. Paragraph F  _____

Questions 7-10

Look at the statements (Questions 7-10) and the list of people below.

Match each statement with the correct person, A-E.

List of People:
A. Dr. Helmut Fischer
B. Anthony Berwick
C. Paula Murphy
D. Maria Fiala
E. Josh Camberwell

Statements:
7. Claimed that the idea of recording reality on film is misleading.  _____
8. Suggested that the recognition of documentaries increased with the Direct Cinema movement.  _____
9. Argued that technological changes did not immediately transform public expectations.  _____
10. Believed that documentaries should openly express personal viewpoints.  _____

Questions 11-14

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

The debate over the beginning of documentaries remains unresolved. Some argue that the first true documentary was (11) ______, which was made in (12) ______ by Robert J. Flaherty. Others claim that the history of the genre goes back to (13) ______, when films like newsreels and scientific footage were produced. Over time, documentaries evolved, and by the (14) ______, a new style called Direct Cinema gained popularity.

Making Documentary Films Reading Answer with Explanation

1. Paragraph A ii. The struggle for academic recognition

Answer Location: "For much of the twentieth century, documentary films were overshadowed by their more successful Hollywood counterparts. For a number of reasons, documentaries were frequently ignored by critics and film studies courses at universities."

Explanation: This paragraph discusses how documentaries struggled to gain recognition in academic circles, mainly due to skepticism about their authenticity and ethical concerns.

2. Paragraph B v. The origins and early history of documentary filmmaking

Answer Location: "It is often claimed that Nanook of the North was the first documentary. Made by the American filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty in 1922, the film depicts the hard, sometimes heroic lives of native American peoples in the Canadian Arctic."

Explanation: The paragraph focuses on the history of documentary films, mentioning Nanook of the North as a significant early example and discussing even earlier forms of documentaries from 1895.

3. Paragraph C iv. The emergence of a new style in the 1960s

Answer Location: "However, by the 1960s Grierson’s style of film was being rejected by the Direct Cinema movement, which wanted to produce more natural and authentic films: cameras were hand-held; no additional lighting or sound was used; and the subjects did not rehearse."

Explanation: The paragraph describes a new style of filmmaking in the 1960s, known as Direct Cinema, which opposed traditional, scripted documentaries.

4. Paragraph D i. The impact of digital technology on documentary filmmaking

Answer Location: "Starting in the 1980s, the widespread availability of first video and then digital cameras transformed filmmaking. The flexibility and low cost of these devices meant that anyone could now be a filmmaker."

Explanation: This paragraph discusses how digital technology and the internet changed documentary filmmaking, making it accessible to amateurs.

5. Paragraph E vi. The modern trend in documentary themes

Answer Location: "These filmmakers moved away from highlighting political themes or urgent social issues. Instead, the focus moved inwards, exploring personal lives, relationships and emotions."

Explanation: The paragraph explains how modern documentaries shifted focus from political and social themes to personal experiences and emotions.

6. Paragraph F vii. Documentary film festivals around the world

Answer Location: "The popularity and variety of documentaries today is illustrated by the large number of film festivals focusing on the genre around the world."

Explanation: This paragraph lists various documentary film festivals, such as Hot Docs Festival, Hamburg International Short Film Festival, and Atlanta Shortsfest.

7. Dr. Helmut Fischer A

Statement: "Claimed that the idea of recording reality on film is misleading."

Answer Location: "Documentary makers might have ambitions to tell the ‘truth’ and show only ‘facts,’ but there is no such thing as a non-fiction film."

Explanation: Fischer argued that all documentaries alter reality simply by filming an event, making true objectivity impossible.

8. Paula Murphy C

Statement: "Suggested that the recognition of documentaries increased with the Direct Cinema movement."

Answer Location: "According to film writer Paula Murphy, the principles and methods of Direct Cinema brought documentaries to the attention of universities and film historians as never before."

Explanation: Murphy stated that Direct Cinema helped documentaries gain academic recognition.

9. Maria Fiala D

Statement: "Argued that technological changes did not immediately transform public expectations."

Answer Location: "The arguments sometimes put forward that these innovations immediately transformed what the public expected to see in a documentary isn’t entirely accurate."

Explanation: Fiala countered claims that digital technology instantly changed audience preferences for documentaries.

10. Josh Camberwell E

Statement: "Believed that documentaries should openly express personal viewpoints."

Answer Location: "Filmmaker Josh Camberwell maintains that Catfish embodies a new realization that documentaries are inherently subjective and that this should be celebrated."

Explanation: Camberwell embraces subjectivity in documentary filmmaking, believing that filmmakers should share personal perspectives.

11. Answer: Nanook of the North

Answer Location: "It is often claimed that Nanook of the North was the first documentary."

Explanation: The passage states that Nanook of the North is widely considered the first documentary.

12. Answer: 1922

Answer Location: "Made by the American filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty in 1922, the film depicts the hard, sometimes heroic lives of native American peoples in the Canadian Arctic."

Explanation: The film Nanook of the North was made in 1922.

13. Answer: 1895

Answer Location: "However, that 1922 starting point has been disputed by supporters of an earlier date... as early as 1895, when similar films started to appear."

Explanation: Some argue that documentary filmmaking began in 1895, with newsreels and scientific films.

14. Answer: 1960s

Answer Location: "However, by the 1960s Grierson’s style of film was being rejected by the Direct Cinema movement."

Explanation: The 1960s saw the rise of Direct Cinema, marking a major shift in documentary filmmaking.

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