The quote I choose from Nicholas “Intro To Documentary ” is the following, “Observational documentary de-emphasizes persuasion to give us a sense of what it is like to be in a given situation but without a sense of what it is like for the filmmaker to be there, too. Participatory documentary gives us a sense of what it is like for the filmmaker to be in a given situation and how that situation alters as a result.” (181)

An example an observational documentary is “Highschool” by Frederick Wiseman. Wiseman acts like a fly in the wall, he tried to catch the students and teachers in a natural way. He did not take any part in the actual film. He went around just recording the students in different situations to make it seem more realistic for instance, he would film them when they would get in trouble. He would also film them when they were in class. The documentary did not try to make you change your way of thinking. It give you the tools and you had to construct your actual views of what was presented. Furthermore you don’t have the people talking directly to the camera they are more interacting with each other.
On the other hand, in a participatory film like “The Gleaners and I”.By Agnes varda. This a documentary about varda gleaners in France. Varda is a participatory film maker. What this means is that she herself is seen in the film. The filmmaker is also participatory because she approaches people. In some of the scenes she is seen joining some of the gleaners. In this kind of documentary the people are not just going along with their everyday life like nothings there. They actually aknowledge the camera and answer the filmmakers questions. This alters the film because the filmmaker is able to play the part of a puppet master and ask certain questions to get a certain answer. Or they can restrict themselves from asking a certain person something to make the film appeal in a different light.