Amy and context

• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  Amy feels like the style of a Longinotto documentary because of Kapadias use of archival footage. This creates the illusion of truthfulness and authenticity. However, closer analysis likens it to more of a Moore documentary because of the imposed narrative and underlying polemic
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  Moore argues sound is more important than picture - Kapadia manipulates sound in Amy during post-production to propose a narrative - for example Kapadia magnifies the camera flashes to sound like gun-shots, adds non-diegetic melancholic violin music when Amy does not perform in Serbia giving the preferred reading that Amy is a victim. Similarly, he adds eerie music with the line "Things started to change" making the dialogue far more ominous
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  Moore also thinks that that documentaries should be more film-like. Kapadia creates a story of Amy's life in Classic Todorov narrative in order to to create a closed and simplistic narrative. For example, the use of frankenbiting to make ex-husband Blake look like a Classic Proppian Villain through lines of dialogue "I've got good muscles, I shouldn't be waiting round for her" "Who's paying? Amy" are used out of context.
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  Moore also thinks that that documentaries should be more film-like. Kapadia creates a story of Amy's life in Classic Todorov narrative in order to to create a closed and simplistic narrative. Amy's father Mitch is also presented as a classic Proppian Villain through frankenbiting, and is portrayed as greedy when he brings a camera crew to Amy's Carribean resort, as well as failing to recognise her bolemia.
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?


  Moore also thinks that that documentaries should be more film-like. Kapadia creates a story of Amy's life in Classic Todorov narrative in order to to create a closed and simplistic narrative. In contrast, Amy's nan Cynthia is presented as a classic Proppian hero described as "more of a mum" to Amy, despite having little influence on Amy's wayward behaviour as a child
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  Moore's style is one of performance, and he often appears in his documentaries himself. Kapadia is not seen or heard in the conventional sense, yet in post-production offer the spectator a strong, underlying voice to a more passive spectator. Moore often uses zeitgeist (of the time) and it could be argued Kapadia echoes Moore's themes because of Kapadia exposing the effects of the press on celebrities
• Apply one filmmaker's theory of documentary you have studied to your chosen documentary. How far does this increase your understanding of the film?

  By examining Kapadia's documentary techniques in contrast with Moore's, it becomes apparent that the film 'Amy' is more of a fiction created by Kapadia then a factual, truthful documentary