I have March of the Penguins this time. It is a feature length nature documentary in 2005, directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. This documentary recorded the yearly journal of emperor penguins – they leave ocean and walk inland. The penguins participate in courtship and hatch a chick. For the chick survive, both parents have their own efforts.

What is documentary? Audiences think documentary is filmed events are not staged, and providing an authentic look. People also think that documentary is non-fiction films; they depict not imaginary but real events because fiction films provide imaginative impressions while documentary is very truthful. Documentary filmmakers are assumed to observe the events and make objective record of the events. It is actually a nonfictional motion picture intended to shape events, for purpose of education or maintaining a historical record. We look at documentaries via the techniques selected by filmmakers when they shape the events. Documentaries represent in six modes – poetic (way of representing reality via series of fragmented visuals and subjective impressions, incoherent acts and loose associations), expository (disembodied and authoritative voiceover that is combine with imageries, aimed at being descriptive and informative), observational (no apparent intervention by filmmaker, no intertitles and no interviews, no voiceover), interactive (filmmaker’s presence known to audience by ways of filmmaker interacting with filmed interviewees), reflexive (exposes the techniques employed for representation, revealing the truth) and performative (direct reference to issue at hand is marginalized while poetic and expressive aspects of film are emphasized).

The emperor penguins move to a particular spot as breeding ground because it is on solid ice and no danger of ice too soft to support existence of colony. By the end of winter, the breeding ground is a great distance away from the nearest open water; they must traverse the distance in breeding age. The female lays an egg; the parents have to co-operate to make sure the chick survive. After egg lay, female transfers egg to the feet of male with minimal of exposure. Then the female returns to sea to feed herself and obtain food for chick when return after two months. In this period, the males will huddle together for warmth. Their only source of water is snow. When the chicks hatch, males have only small meal to feed. If females don’t return, they must abandon their chick. After two months, the females come back and feed the young while males go back to sea. Many parents die on trip, killed by exhaustion or by predators. The parents must tend to chick for four months, shuttling back and forth to sea to provide food for young. The trips get easier as spring progresses as the ice melt (distance to sea decreases), until the parents can leave chicks to survive themselves.

First of all, March of the Penguins is a film event that is not staged, obviously and is non fiction film. The mise-en-scene is particularly put together like fiction films. Production team cannot control the movement of the emperor of penguins, they capture down all the process. The documentary assessment is based on objectivity which is to record the yearly journal of the penguins – their breeding habits and how the parents co-operate to protect the egg and make sure the chick survive, avoid starving in the winter.

There are 6 modes of representation – expository, poetic, observational, interactive, reflexive and performative. Unlike poetic mode, expository mode addresses the viewer directly and use of titles and voice over to add a perspective to what is shown in film. Voice of god commentary sought to disclose information about the historical world itself and to see that world fresh. Overall effect of this mode is objectivity, a direct and transparent representation. It is more Romanise, for example, the southern lights dance in the night; the penguins practice their dance before shifting their eggs, and also, the penguin parents sing to their chick.

The poetic mode is particularly adept at opening up the possibility of alternative forms of knowledge to the straightforward transfer of information, the prosecution of a particular argument. Films of this mode break up time and space into multiple perspectives, denying coherence and accepting the unconscious. This mode represent in the scene of the male penguins fighting when they fight for the female for having their next generation.

Observational is objective reality with filmmaker as neutral observer, it limited the filmmaker to present moment and required a disciplined detachment from the events. Films of this mode observe and record as the events unfold in real time, resulting in long takes and sound is recorded directly, establishing an intimate relationship with and a sense of the environment without manipulating and distorting event. Overall effect is a neutral and non-judgemental appeal. Filmmaker film the entire event without interruption, just let the camera fixed. The sound is direct sound and the light is available light.

Interactive allow the filmmaker’s presence to be felt by the audience via interview, posing question on screen as mediator for interviewees and audience. Overall effect of this mode exposes the process by which the documentary is made. Objectivity is very much restrained. It allows the filmmaker to participate more actively in present events. Well, March of the Penguins is a observational documentary, so this mode is not including in the film.

Reflexive focuses on film properties and filmmaking process, reminding and informing audience, besides the represented issue, that they are also watching a film that is attempting to represent reality. Overall effect is lack of objectivity which does not necessarily compromise the impact of documentary. Like the whole film, it focuses on the breeding of penguins, the filmmakers informing audience and presenting them a reality.

The last mode is performative, it evoke mood found in fiction films, representing of subject matter stylistically, evocative and expressively. Overall effect of this mode is lack of objectivity, aimed at encouraging audience to experience and feel the events. March of the Penguins is giving “education” to audience, so this mode is not included too.

This is all the modes we have. While in the March of the Penguins, it is not obtain all the modes. Although it is a documentary, but I really feel I am enjoying the film. It is interesting to see cuteness overload penguins.