--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of the distinctions that we make…" description: "\"A lot of the distinctions that we make between drama and documentary are spurious. We're deeply confused about these issues. About the difference betwe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/errol-morris-2512_confused_a-lot-of-the-distinctions-that-we-make-b_2595015.jpg" --- # A lot of the distinctions that we make between drama and… ![“A lot of the distinctions that we make between drama and documentary are spurious. We're deeply confused about these issues. About the difference between the two, about where documentary ends and drama begins.” quote by Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/errol-morris-2512_confused_a-lot-of-the-distinctions-that-we-make-b_2595015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/errol-morris-2512_confused_a-lot-of-the-distinctions-that-we-make-b_2595015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/errol-morris-2512_confused_a-lot-of-the-distinctions-that-we-make-b_2595015.jpg) > “A lot of the distinctions that we make between drama and documentary are spurious. We're deeply confused about these issues. About the difference between the two, about where documentary ends and drama begins.” [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distinctions between drama and documentary are blurred; the line between fact and storytelling is confusing. **In simple terms:** Drama and documentary overlap; hard to separate fact from art. Key Takeaway Question media’s claim to truth. Themes media truth documentary drama Mood critical inquisitive analytical Type film media philosophical When to use this quote - film criticism - media literacy - ethical storytelling Key Concepts Narrative construction ethical representation genre boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How can viewers discern fact from artistic license? - What responsibilities do filmmakers have? A Different Perspective Audience may misinterpret facts as fiction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [You can't tell by looking at a film-clip whether it is a drama or a documentary without knowing how it was produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-t-tell-by-looking-at-a-film-clip-whether-it-is-a-drama-or-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [I've never seen myself as a documentary filmmaker. I see myself as a filmmaker, period, and I am interested in drama as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/i-ve-never-seen-myself-as-a-documentary-filmmaker-i-see-myself-as-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [We exaggerate the difference between documentary and fiction. I think that on some level a fiction film is also a documentary on the actors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/we-exaggerate-the-difference-between-documentary-and-fiction-i-think/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [Because 'Call The Midwife' is a gentle drama, not a documentary, it's not appropriate to portray Sister Monica Joan's condition in all its brutal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-parfitt/because-call-the-midwife-is-a-gentle-drama-not-a-documentary-it-s-not/) [Judy Parfitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-parfitt/) > ['Panto!' is basically my life. It's not a comedy drama; it's a documentary. I was going to write an autobiography, but I thought I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/panto-is-basically-my-life-it-s-not-a-comedy-drama-it-s-a-documentary/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [There's a real difference between a documentary that was all about facts and history and information. People just don't get as engaged in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-disney/there-s-a-real-difference-between-a-documentary-that-was-all-about/) [Abigail Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-disney/) > [I look back now, and most of the drama in my life was self-inflicted. I don't need to make up so much drama now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-look-back-now-and-most-of-the-drama-in-my-life-was-self-inflicted-i/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [You couldn't hope to make a drama and have people rewriting on the day and having the actors making suggestions, "Wouldn't it be funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-lowney/you-couldn-t-hope-to-make-a-drama-and-have-people-rewriting-on-the/) Declan Lowney > [If I lose the first set, I still have two more. Let's not make a drama, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garbine-muguruza/if-i-lose-the-first-set-i-still-have-two-more-let-s-not-make-a-drama/) [Garbine Muguruza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garbine-muguruza/) > [When you make drama you are like Picasso. Drama is whatever you want it to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/when-you-make-drama-you-are-like-picasso-drama-is-whatever-you-want/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [When you make a drama, you spend all day beating a guy to death with a hammer, or what have you. Or, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/when-you-make-a-drama-you-spend-all-day-beating-a-guy-to-death-with-a/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [A good relationship dont just happen. They taketime, patience, honest, courage and a slut came inbetween to make a drama scene. But most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaceem-madd/a-good-relationship-dont-just-happen-they-taketime-patience-honest/) [Kaceem Madd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaceem-madd/) > [There's something that happens where you go, if you're lucky, goodness me, from film to another film to another film. And you can sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-s-something-that-happens-where-you-go-if-you-re-lucky-goodness/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [If there's something you need to get done, don't make it a drama. It's much more enjoyable without it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mead/if-there-s-something-you-need-to-get-done-don-t-make-it-a-drama-it-s/) Jon Mead > [I had to trick people into giving me money for my first film. Making a romantic comedy is easier and more expected from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/i-had-to-trick-people-into-giving-me-money-for-my-first-film-making-a/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) ## More by Errol Morris > [God is greater than anything that man can do or has done. He is not undone by just a train of powder. "Our God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/god-is-greater-than-anything-that-man-can-do-or-has-done-he-is-not/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [In the case of The Thin Blue Line, I was surprised actually by many things. I was shooting down in Texas where the actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/in-the-case-of-the-thin-blue-line-i-was-surprised-actually-by-many/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [When 'The Thin Blue Line' came out, I was criticized by many people for using reenactments, as if I wasn't dedicated to the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/when-the-thin-blue-line-came-out-i-was-criticized-by-many-people-for/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [There is such a thing as truth, but we have a vested interest in not seeing it, in avoiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/there-is-such-a-thing-as-truth-but-we-have-a-vested-interest-in-not/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Simply coming to the perpetrator and delivering the message is Nozick's definition of revenge. And in that sense, Adi is exacting revenge. When people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/simply-coming-to-the-perpetrator-and-delivering-the-message-is-nozick/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The proper route to an understanding of the world is an examination of our errors about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-proper-route-to-an-understanding-of-the-world-is-an-examination/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The chance that any given sentence is a lie, rather than a truth, I think, is fairly great. An intentional lie, a self-deception, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-chance-that-any-given-sentence-is-a-lie-rather-than-a-truth-i/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [ Maybe \[killers\] is one of my real passions. Why deny it? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/maybe-killers-is-one-of-my-real-passions-why-deny-it/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [I envy certain writers, because there are writers who do go into a kind of different zone, where the writing isn't controlled anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/i-envy-certain-writers-because-there-are-writers-who-do-go-into-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Right now, we live in bad times in this country, and the fact that there are filmmakers addressing political and social issues is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/right-now-we-live-in-bad-times-in-this-country-and-the-fact-that/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [You can talk about a caption underneath a photograph being true or false, because there is a linguistic element. You can claim that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-talk-about-a-caption-underneath-a-photograph-being-true-or/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [The fact that the world is utterly insane makes it tolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/the-fact-that-the-world-is-utterly-insane-makes-it-tolerable/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Appearing on the front page of the New York Times even given the state of papers today is still something that's seen by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/appearing-on-the-front-page-of-the-new-york-times-even-given-the/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [You can't tell by looking at a film-clip whether it is a drama or a documentary without knowing how it was produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-t-tell-by-looking-at-a-film-clip-whether-it-is-a-drama-or-a/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [Tell me what's wrong with this idea: If you're selling to somebody, find someone like that person to sell to them. If you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/tell-me-what-s-wrong-with-this-idea-if-you-re-selling-to-somebody/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) [Explore all 163 Errol Morris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) ## More Confused quotes > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [I was a very protected and confused kid till 24. It was after then, that I started taking my life seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-shukla/i-was-a-very-protected-and-confused-kid-till-24-it-was-after-then/) [Siddharth Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-shukla/) > [I can picture certain things in my mind, while writing the script, but then I can also tell that everyone else might be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/i-can-picture-certain-things-in-my-mind-while-writing-the-script-but/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [America today is a confused society, caught up in a terror war, a culture war, and a media war, where honesty and professional standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/america-today-is-a-confused-society-caught-up-in-a-terror-war-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I am still searching for the expression of those confused sensations that we bring with us at birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/i-am-still-searching-for-the-expression-of-those-confused-sensations/) [Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/) > [If I look confused it is because I am thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-look-confused-it-is-because-i-am-thinking/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I believe that much of Hollywood is confused about Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pellegrino/i-believe-that-much-of-hollywood-is-confused-about-israel/) [Mark Pellegrino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pellegrino/) > [My senior thesis was a documentary. 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