In Claiming the Real, Brian Winston rewrites the history of documentary film to take account of technological change. He subjects the great figures of the past--Grierson, Flaherty, Dziga-Vertov--to a searching critique, and examines both the principles and practice of the major movements in documentary such as cinema verité. He offers a revised definition of the essential difference between fiction and documentary, and identifies the ethical base of any film practice that attempts to capture "truth."