Eyewitness Testimony in Documentary Film: A Study of Trust, Memory, and the Limitations of Personal Narrative

Inha Makarova-Krentsel

Citation: Inha Makarova-Krentsel, "Eyewitness Testimony in Documentary Film: A Study of Trust, Memory, and the Limitations of Personal Narrative", Universal Library of Arts and Humanities, Volume 02, Issue 03.

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study is devoted to analyzing the role of eyewitness testimony as a key element of documentary cinema, examined through the combined lens of cognitive psychology of memory, narrative theory, and professional directorial practice. The aim of the article is to identify the mechanisms through which trust in the eyewitness’s personal narrative is formed and, at the same time, to determine the cognitive and dramaturgical constraints that shape the credibility of documentary storytelling. The methodological foundation of the research consists of a systematic literature review, content analysis of documentary films, comparative analysis of the theoretical concepts proposed by H. White, B. Nichols, and E. Loftus, as well as a reflexive analysis of the author’s own directing practice. The findings demonstrate that the eyewitness’s personal narrative is subject to multiple transformations, ranging from the reconstructive nature of memory itself to the processes of editorial selection and emotional framing carried out by the director. An original model of the “spectrum of subjectivity” is proposed, together with a system of ethical constraints designed to minimize distortion while preserving artistic expressiveness. The article may be of interest to scholars working in documentary studies, cognitive psychology, and media ethics, as well as to practicing documentary filmmakers.


Keywords: Documentary Film, Eyewitness Testimony, Memory, Trust, Narrative Subjectivity, Misinformation Effect, Editorial Selection, Ethics Of Documentary, Cognitive Bias, Historical Representation.

Download doi https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulahu.2025.0203012