The first feature documentary was not as real as it looked

A closer look

Before true crime dominated the genre, documentaries started in the freezing Arctic. 'Nanook of the North,' released in 1922, is considered the first feature-length documentary. Filmmaker Robert Flaherty followed an Inuk man and his family. Naturally, because it was the 1920s, the director heavily staged numerous scenes for dramatic effect, instantly establishing the long-standing tradition of highly manipulated 'non-fiction' cinema.