Documentary fiction: A comparative analysis of directorial approaches in Želimir Žilnik's 'Brooklyn-Gusinje' and Abbas Kiarostami's 'Close-Up'

Abstract

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of two films by internationally renowned directors made within just a few years of each other - Brooklyn-Gusinje by Serbian filmmaker Želimir Žilnik and Close-Up by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Despite originating from different continents and cultures, these two films share a series of nearly identical directorial approaches, presenting stories where authentic documentary footage resembles fictional form, while the fictional elements in both films appear as documentary records. By analyzing both films, this paper will examine the fundamental principles of the authentic genre known as docudrama (docufiction) through comparative analysis. The initial hypothesis is that documentary film is not an imitation of reality but a creative depiction in the broadest sense of the term. Additionally, the paper suggests that these two directors have brought this genre to its most mature phase, often seen in contemporary documentary trends with slight deviations from their approaches.

Keywords

• 'brooklyn-gusinje'
• 'close-up'
• želimir žilnik
• abbas kiarostami
• film narration
• creative documentary
• docudrama
• directorial approaches
• working with nonprofessional actors