Front Page | Center for Documentary Studies

A zine is opened on a table to brightly colored images, a wedding couple in red and gold ink on the left, and the same couple older on a chat with their daughter in black and yellow ink on the right.

Celebrating Emerging Documentary Voices

This spring, five Duke students earned their Certificate in Documentary Studies and completed powerful capstone projects. Their work — spanning photography, film, zines and oral history — explores themes ranging from memory and loss to the beauty of everyday life.

Their projects debuted at the CDS Spring Celebration as part of a larger exhibition of emerging documentary work. Kudos to⁠ Grace "Gi" Chun, Ella Davis, Jasmin Riley, Harriet Throsby and Lauren Valle!

Image: Interior of 믿음, 소망, 사랑 (Faith, Hope, Love) — a risograph zine by Grace "Gi" Chun reflecting on familial love and grief.

Featured Courses

Featured Course

DOCST 325S

Documenting Resistance on Film: The Poor People's Campaign from 1968 to Today

This documentary course explores the rich archival landscape and contemporary reverberations of the 1968 Poor People's Campaign, a transformative social movement that radically challenged economic… read more about Documenting Resistance on Film: The Poor People's Campaign from 1968 to Today »

DOCST 330S

Oral History and Storytelling

Explore the fields of oral history and public history by participating in a community-based project. Examine a wide variety of sources related to oral history and public history theory and practice… read more about Oral History and Storytelling »

DOCST 101

Traditions in Documentary Studies

Traditions of documentary work seen through an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on twentieth-century practice. Introduces students to a range of documentary idioms and voices,… read more about Traditions in Documentary Studies »

Events

Apr

Thu

“Emerging Documentary Work” 04/24/25 - 08/29/25

10:00 am

Center for Documentary Studies

Jul

Wed

Full Frame Summer Road Show: Story & Pictures By

5:30 pm

Durham County Main Library

Sep

Tue

Miler Lagos: The Merx Tree

12:00 am

Rubenstein Arts Center, Ruby Lounge

News

Two people in a theater look enraptured by what is on the screen

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Full Frame, a program of the Center for Documentary Studies, is one of the world’s premiere showcases for nonfiction cinema. This year the festival will take place April 3-6, 2025, and will screen dozens of groundbreaking new documentaries. Passes are on sale now!

Learn More about this opportunity

Program Spotlights

Close-up cropped view of young girl's face with eyes looking down.

Literacy Through Photography

LTP continues its decades-long work with Durham Public Schools, connecting picture-making with writing and critical thinking.

Learn More about Literacy Through Photography

Doc+ Initiative

The newest summer “plus” program at Duke offers students hands-on experience working on real-world documentary projects.

Learn More about the DocX Initiative

Lehman Brady Professorship

The Center for Documentary Studies coordinates a visiting professorship in documentary studies and American studies at Duke and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.

Learn More about the Lehman Brady Professorship

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