This workshop aims to provide participants with fundamental knowledge to understand the formal architecture of the documentary film, willing to help them improving their professional practices. Our theoretical-practical approach will guide you through the de-construction of a documentary through various exercises. The workshop hopes to educate scholars, especially those who work on history and more specifically on oral history – and other theoretical fields of study- so they gain the relevant knowledge that will allow them to create their own documentaries. GIRES considers the craft of documentary film making to be of high significance for humanities: the preservation of memory, oral testimonies, culture, tradition and history have been crucial for the formation of national identities. Our participants will gain the freedom, through the knowledge of documentary making, to record their own projects and create useful archives for next generations and the historian of the future.