Documenting Reality: from Testimonies to Cinema

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to systematize and introduce factual material for identifying the thematic, genre-stylistic, and narrative features of audiovisual testimonies in the representation of socio-historical processes into scientific discourse.

Methodological basis. The research toolkit makes it possible to identify and analyze documentary practices using a functional approach. The descriptive method conducts an inventory of communicative units in order to determine the panorama of values. Semiotic analysis is applied to identify key themes, visual systems, and narratives of audiovisual content.

Results. The study demonstrated different styles of documenting life during wartime in order to preserve individual and collective memory, as well as to record key events and stages of time during the war period. Such an approach contributes to the formation of a realistic understanding of contemporary events and ensures the preservation of values. The consolidation of practices for documenting life under wartime conditions becomes a unifying means of preserving memory, recording the milestones of the time, and defining future perspectives. This is important in order to preserve the realism of the situation currently taking place for the future. Special attention is paid to visual narratives for understanding traumatic experiences, forming public dialogue, and fostering international cooperation. Documentary cinema and testimonies in the reconstruction of wartime reality form a content portfolio of historical and cultural consciousness.

The scientific novelty lies in the systematization of visual narratives for comprehending the experience of war and reconstructing wartime reality. These narratives shape the historical and cultural consciousness of society, preserve events experienced, and draw attention to humanitarian and sociocultural aspects of wartime.

The practical significance lies in reflecting current practices of documenting wartime events in narrative forms. The proposed approaches to analyzing visual narratives and documentary testimonies contribute to the formation of public mobilization and increased awareness about contemporary Ukraine for an international audience. The results of the study may be useful for courses in documentary studies, media studies, visual studies, and communications.

Key words: documentary, eyewitness testimonies, documentation, visual language, visual communication, collective memory.