From ignorant subject to committed co-creator. Documentary participants’ contributions reconsidered

“… scientific experiments and direct cinema depend for their success on subjects who have little or nothing to gain from participation”, said Pryluck (1976, p. 260) when addressing, as one of the first, the ethics of direct cinema. This paper argues that the contrary seems to be true. The results of four Dutch case studies of participating in an author documentary project suggest that documentary participants can enjoy their participation and the end product, despite moments of disappointment; that they can learn from the experience, about filmmaking as well as about themselves; and that they can use the experience for self-presentation, despite being represented by the filmmaker. Hence, their participation is complex, and their experiences invite a more profound consideration of the gains and losses of participating.