What is Docu-Fiction? Exploring a Bold Form of Storytelling
Film still from E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea.
When you sit down to watch a film, you usually expect one of two things: a documentary that tells you about the world as it is, or a fictional story that transports you somewhere else entirely. But what happens when those two traditions meet? Enter the fascinating world of docu-fiction.
Defining Docu-Fiction
Docu-fiction (sometimes called hybrid cinema) is a film genre that blends elements of documentary and fiction. It often features real people, places, or events, but presents them through re-enactments, stylized sequences, or narrative storytelling techniques that push beyond traditional documentary. The result is a film that feels both authentic and imaginative—anchored in truth but expanded through art.
In a world where we question what’s “real” every day, docu-fiction invites us to sit in that tension and experience stories in a new way.
A Brief History
While the genre has exploded in recent years, docu-fiction has roots that stretch back nearly a century. Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922) is often cited as the first docu-fiction, though its staged scenes complicate its authenticity. Later, filmmakers like Jean Rouch experimented with blending documentary footage and dramatization in works like Chronicle of a Summer (1961) and Moi, un noir (1958).
Today, docu-fiction has become a vital way for filmmakers to push boundaries. From Abbas Kiarostami’s Close-Up (1990), where a man impersonates a famous director and then re-enacts his trial, to Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing (2012), in which perpetrators of mass violence stage their crimes in Hollywood genres, the form continues to challenge audiences and spark dialogue.
Why Docu-Fiction Matters
The power of docu-fiction lies in its ability to blur lines. It asks us to reconsider what counts as truth, what role memory and imagination play in storytelling, and how performance can reveal deeper realities. For subjects whose voices have been marginalized, docu-fiction can offer a way to reclaim and reframe their narratives.
Examples to Watch
E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea – A poetic exploration of the life and work of designer Eileen Gray, mixing historical fact with imagined sequences.
Waltz with Bashir – An animated docu-fiction about repressed memories of the Lebanon War.
Stories We Tell – Sarah Polley’s intimate blend of family interviews and staged home movies.
Experience Docu-Fiction Locally
If you’re curious to see this genre in action, you don’t have to go far. The Jackson Hole International Film Festival is screening East of Wall, a naturalistic docu-fiction set on a South Dakota ranch, where teenagers tame and train horses to be resold at auction.
Screening: September 10
The Center for the Arts
Purchase tickets today.
Come experience the magic of a film that straddles the line between documentary and fiction, and discover why this hybrid form is one of the most exciting in cinema today.