Mockumentary Genre as a Cinematic Phenomenon of the Postmodern Age

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to analyze the forms of artistic embodiment of mockumentary as a cinematic phenomenon of the postmodern era. By the purpose, the following tasks are set: to analyze the relatively new genre of mockumentary for the field of cinematography; to study the prerequisites for the formation of the genre, to determine the formal genre characteristics and specific tools of mockumentary filmmakers; to analyze stylistic and functional evolution of mockumentary films during the second half of the twentieth – early twenty-first century; to establish the factors that ensured the growth of the genre’s popularity in the postmodern era. The research methodology consists in the application of the following theoretical methods: analysis of the mockumentary phenomenon to determine the basic characteristics of the genre; a method of comparison regarding the functions of feature and non-feature films; a method of generalizing the processes and trends common to all spheres of the postmodern period culture; a method of abstraction about artistic means, which are equally characteristic of both documentary cinema and the mockumentary film genre. A systemic principle, namely a structural-functional approach, was also used to examine individual elements of the mockumentary genre and their relationship as constituent parts within the genre. The scientific novelty is caused primarily by addressing the phenomenon of mockumentary precisely in the context of postmodernism and conducting a detailed analysis of characteristic genre features. Also, the research singles out the reasons for the emergence of a new genre and the growth of its popularity. Conclusions. The article analyzes the reasons for the emergence of the mockumentary genre and the growth of its popularity during the second half of the 20th – the beginning of the 21st century. By analyzing individual samples of the genre, its characteristic stylistic and technical features have been revealed, and subcategories of the genre and the tools of mockumentary filmmakers have been formulated. The role of the mockumentary genre in the development of contemporary cinema has been determined.