Barbara Sumner Burstyn: The Documentary Filmmaker

Film producer and writer Barbara Sumner Burstyn started her career as a magazine Features
writer and a social issue columnist that is commonly published in New Zealand for which she
was awarded. Her contribution to the documentary industry has led the people see the things in a
new
way.
What is Documentary Film?

A documentary film is basically a movie that efforts to document the real life in reel life. It is
also defined as a film or a program that gives a fact-based report on a particular topic or a
subject. Its aim is to review something with real evidence. The actors in this movie are not
typically actors although the sequence of the scenes is arranged after editing. Also the scenes are
not scripted. A documentary film includes interview of the people in attempt to gain more
information about the story. It consists of the footage of the stuff and the events happened in the
real life. it is different from the other movies in the context that it focus on documenting real life
events rather than drama and fiction. Documentaries can be on any topic : cultural, historical,
social,
political
or
on
anyone
personals
life.
There are various features of a documentary:

Observation: This is shown as a sense used as a evidence and it changes the people
participating as objects instead of subjects.
Interview: Documentaries mostly use interviews to make a distinction between the
observed sequences. This can be done in two ways: Either they intercut the observation
fragments or they leave the sequence as it is.
Dramatization: Although a documentary is not based on drama but it portraits people
and events in a way that some drama can be sensed in it as the drama is based on facts.
Exposition: It includes the sequences that led the audiences to make their own
interpretation. It reveals the discussion being disclosed.
Mise-en-scene: It is all that the producers and directors put into the frames like lighting
and everything that is needed in an interview. It is very important to the topic of the
documentary.

Moreover, there are 6 types of documentaries:

Poetic: This type of documentary is related personally to the people involved i.e. the
presenter and interviewees.
Expository: This type of documentary mostly includes non-fiction films. Direct access
with the audience is there.
Participatory: This type of documentary has the events and the scenes which are being
influenced, modified or edited by the presence of the filmmaker.

Per formative: This documentary is basically autobiographical in nature. It recognizes

the personal and emotional feature of a documentary. It is shown in a way that it is
perceived differently by different people.

One Man, One Cow, One Planet

Barbara Sumner Burstyn is the writer of the Documentary One man, One Cow, One
planet.This documentary is about a remarkable journey of Peter Proctor to India. It showed the
farming revolution in India and how he single handedly helped in recovering the traditional
farming there. This documentary got the Best Non-Broadcast Film in Jackson Hole Wildlife Film
Festival. In addition to this, this documentary was appreciated as the Best Environmental
Conservation film in CMS, Vatravan and sold to about 16 countries. Her best work: The Way of
lifewas shortlisted for an Oscar and it won about 12 international.

This Way of Life

This Way of life is one of the Sumner Burstyns best work was shortlisted for an Oscar. It was
sold to 22 countries. HarperCollins publishers, one of the worlds largest publishing companies
publish This Way of Life in 2012. It made the 2011 Oscar Documentary Long List. This book is
about a couple who lived in an isolated rural New Zealand and how they raised their seven
children. They were raised with no limitations, restrictions and had a simple way of living. They
work with horses and hunt for food and their blissful existence. And how they sell their

ancestors land to a owner who threatened their lifestyle. It also won about 12 international
awards from the year 2010 to 2012. List of the awards are given below:

Shortlist 2011 Academy Awards

Berlin International Film Festival, Jury Prize.
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Best Feature Film,
Victoria Independent FF, Texas, Best Documentary
Bend International FF, Oregon, Best Documentary 2012
Bend International FF, Oregon, Best Feature Film, 2012
Iowa Indie Film Festival 2011, Peoples Choice Iowa Indie Film Festival 2011, Best Documentary
Docville Official Selection 2011 Belgium
DocEdge Festival Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand Documentary 2011 Qantas
Film Awards 2010, Best Documentary
FIFO 2011 Special Jury Award
Wairoa Maori Film Festival 2010, Audience Award
Plus Cameraimage nominated Best Cinematography, Poland 2010

Some Kind of Love

Barbara Sumner Burstyns recent film Some kind of love has just been released. This is
recently in post-production with production partners Screen Siren in Canada. It is also voted as a
runner up for the Cuban Hat Prize by the audience. It is sold to about 5 countries. This story is
being told by an aging artist, her scientist brother about the repercussion of passion and the
divide between the science and art. It explores the controversial relationship between an aging
artist and her brother. It shows the consequences in the old age of the choices we have made
when we were young. Various awards for the documentary are listed below:

Canada-wide theatrical release, May 2015

Official Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Vancouver International
Film Festival, DocAviv International Documentary Festival (Israel) (2015)