An odd hybrid of the documentary and experimental form, the essay film couples visual -- usually documentary -- images with extensive narration to create a cohesive cinematic thesis. These films often skew all forms of conventions of both fiction and mainstream non-fiction films: there is no plot as such and few interviews. Instead there is solely the argument of the film. The themes that this style addresses often concern memory, ethnography and the medium of cinema itself. Chris Marker's brilliant Sans Soleil is considered to be the exemplar of this category. |