ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects on the gap between representation and reality, analysing the patterns of presence and absence which arise during the processes of filming and editing, and the reasons that make these divergences inevitable. From the use of cutaways, to incidences of censorship and self-censorship, absences must be filled with constructed and simulated presence in order to effect the appearance of naturalistic reality. The example of fixed-rig documentaries is used to examine why the gap between reality and representation cannot be resolved by technological solutions. Finally, the chapter considers the limitations of representational resources in depicting human experience, such as trauma and grief, and examines the impact of narrative norms, which are used to organise amorphous experiences into story arcs with a beginning, middle, and end.
