《Tower》
In 2016, director Keith Maitland made this film about the event using a dynamic mask rotoscoping animation combined with authentic images.
We can see that this film is very similar to a feature film. The fundamental difference between a feature film and a documentary is that a feature film focuses on the development of the plot. In contrast, a documentary focuses on the subject matter. This film is not a traditional documentary in the strictest sense of the word; Most of the film’s contents are images reasonably restored by the director according to the descriptions of the parties, and the director also adopts many expression methods in feature films.
According to Nichols’ theory, most people believe this documentary is closer to the theory of an observational Documentary in that there is no narration, no commentary, but rather the recollections and testimonies of the witnesses who experienced the actual events from the beginning to end. It is an interactive and open process in which the documentary filmmaker is available to his subjects. The end of the documentary opens the door to interaction. It gives the viewer a chance to reflect, and it is clear that although the film’s first half is very much similar to a feature film, the director still follows the classic hermeneutic approach to documentary film.
Therefore, most people do not consider the film a documentary in the traditional sense. Still, as documentaries are so diverse in their own right, there is no clear-cut line, so this could also be considered a documentary.