A television or film program that tells a true story by combining real events with dramatic scenes acted out by performers.
Blend of 'documentary' (from Latin documentum, 'proof') and 'drama' (from Greek drama, 'action'). Created in the 1960s to describe a new genre that dramatized factual events.
Docudrama sits in a fascinating gray zone—it's legally and ethically different from pure documentary because it reconstructs moments that weren't filmed, which means writers and directors get to make creative choices about what 'really' happened. This has sparked actual court cases about whether docudramas must disclose their fictional elements to viewers.
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