"Documentary is about story"

We've covered a few incredible documentaries, like The Thin Blue Line, which displayed the injustice of one case that ruined a man's life for years and also created the option of reenactments in the genre, showing that recreating the scene told by multiple parties can be a positive and insightful experience. This reminds me of the film Citizenfour, which follows a documentarian as she and a few others uncover the conspiracy revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. These both showcase a real-world issue and inform the viewer of what's going on, but I personally prefer to documentaries that showcase a person's personal story and the struggle they've gone through. And with that theme, that leads into one of my favorites; Marwencol. This documentary follows the life of Mark Hogencamp after he experiences a brutal beating outside of a bar, causing massive brain damage. He has to relearn near-everything thanks to the experience, including who he was some time ago. 

Mark coped with this painful experience by collecting hobby items such as figures, vehicles, weapons, etc. from the World War II era and creating a small town with them in his backyard. The town, named Marwencol, became his own personal escape as he created a fantasy that he lived out every day, adding new characters based on the people in his life. He started taking photos of these scenes he created, and it became clear he had an incredible talent for it. One of the final scenes in the film is Mark displaying his work in a gallery in New York, gaining recognition for his photographs. However, that's honestly only half the film. As the story goes on, you begin to learn why Mark was attacked outside of the bar that night, and begin to learn about his odd habits he had before the injuries. We slowly begin to understand where he is now and how his life has changed, and him coming to accept who he is and see that he shouldn't be afraid of others doing the same. It's a beautiful film and I encourage you to watch it, if you have the time.