Dokumentaalse

Dokumentaalse is a term used in contemporary media theory to describe a documentary practice that foregrounds the documentary process itself as the subject of the work. In dokumentaalse practice, the materials labeled as documents—footage, records, affidavits, datasets—are presented not merely as evidence to establish an external truth, but as artifacts that are produced, curated, and interpreted within specific social and institutional contexts. The approach draws attention to how editing choices, access, ethics, and audience reception shape what counts as valid documentation and what meanings are attributed to it.

The term emerged in scholarly discussions in the 2010s and is most often associated with discussions of documentary aesthetics in post-digital media and art installations. It is used primarily in European academic circles and is sometimes treated as a methodological stance within documentary filmmaking and archiving rather than as a fixed genre.

Key characteristics include self-reflexivity about documentation, ethical transparency regarding source materials and consent, an emphasis on process and provenance as a narrative element, and a method that invites critical reading of the material as constructed rather than as unmediated fact. Works may integrate procedural elements, on-screen metadata, and non-linear timelines to reveal the construction of knowledge.

Critics note that dokumentaalse can expand audiences' understanding of documentary by exposing the production conditions behind evidence, though some argue it risks obscuring factual certainty or confusing viewers about what is being claimed. It remains a niche term, with ongoing debate about its boundaries and applications in film, installation art, and digital media.

See also: documentary, documentary ethics, archival theory, meta-documentary.