Philosophy
The Philosophy of Film and the Nature of Cinematic Realism
Quick fact
Philosopher André Bazin argued that film is uniquely realistic because it benefits from an 'ontological' link to reality—the image is caused by the thing itself via light, unlike painting or literature which require human mediation.
Why this is interesting
You watch a documentary and feel you're seeing reality itself—but is the camera a window onto the world or a crafty illusionist? Why do philosophers argue about whether film can ever be truly realistic?