Life in Canada during World War II was a period rife with challenges, challenges exacerbated by the Great Depression that preceded it, placing additional strain on those left behind—farmers and women, for instance. With the outbreak of war and most men deployed, life during this time understandably became daunting. One poignant example is the plight of women who found themselves entering workforces historically resistant to female participation, such as mechanics. In 1941, Jane Marsh collaborated with the National Film Board of Canada, bringing forth her vision for documentaries primarily focused on the impact of war on women. Marsh's filmmaking employed expository modes, offering insightful commentary on life and societal dynamics while also …show more content…
She films how the world works and doesn’t intervene while shooting. Nichols says expository “emphasizes voice over commentary, problem/ solution structure, argumentative logic, and evidentiary editing. This is the mode that most people associate with documentary in general.” Which describes Jane Marsh’s documentaries, with Proudly She Marches, the problem is men overlooking women and the solution being shown on how much they did during the war. The other mode that is used is the Observational, Nichols using this as the definition, “emphasizes a direct engagement with the everyday life of subjects as observed by an unobtrusive camera. The filmmaker does not interact with subjects but only observes them.” Jane Marsh never interacts with the subjects, as her films showcase the unobstructed, with little distraction. Habitant is an example of this mode, with explaining the day-to-day life of a farm, acting as if there were no camera or crew there. Using these two modes, expository and observatory can effectively tell the stories that are being shown without confusion and is done well by showing these lives to people who may not have thought about these subjects