From longitudinal studies to longitudinal documentaries: revisiting infra-ordinary lives

Abstract

The term longitudinal documentary has become commonplace in film studies where it is used to describe any series of documentaries made over a long period of time, however, the origins of the word ‘longitudinal’ have rarely been explored; such is the intention of this article. In order to do so we connect the social science research methodology of longitudinal studies and longitudinal documentaries. Incorporating concepts such as ‘life course perspective’ and ‘whole person’ borrowed from longitudinal studies we create the notion of the infra-ordinary person. The ordinary is no longer the ‘extra’ ordinary: outside of the common order; more that it has become ‘infra’ ordinary. The infra-ordinary is our attempt to express the deepening, accumulative, expansive effects in longitudinal documentary as we (as viewers) understand the intricate shifts and continuities that coalesce to make up ordinary lives.

Disclosure statement

No personal or institutional financial interests or benefits have arisen from the direct applications of our research.

Notes on contributors

Katherine Miller Skillander held a position as a Research Interviewer in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Study in the Department of Preventative and Social Medicine at the University of Otago from 2010 to 2013; and as a Research Fellow in the Next Generation Study from 2013 to 2014. Her MA thesis was entitled: ‘Documenting lives over time: how longitudinal documentaries provide a visual life course perspective’.

Catherine Fowler is an Associate Professor in Film at the University of Otago. She is the editor of The European Cinema Reader, co-editor of Representing the Rural – Space, Place and Identity in Films about the Land and author of Sally Potter. She has published on ordinary people in the context of video art (see Fowler 2013).

Notes

1. Paul Almond directed the first film in 1964 and Michael Apted was the researcher.

2. The very first combination of the term ‘longitudinal documentary’ can be traced to film-makers Joey Easton O'Donnell and Patrick O'Donnell who described their project in a newspaper article as ‘a longitudinal documentary about the Dayton-area Domestic Violence Task Force’ (Morris 1998, C3).

3. One other notable exception was in 42 Up when Apted visited Bruce and Penny's wedding before the schedule seven-yearly instalment.

Additional information

Funding

Research included in this article was supported by a University of Otago MA Scholarship. The writing of this article was supported by a University of Otago Postgraduate Publishing Bursary.