Center for Documentary Studies

Upcoming Events

Four vibrant and colorful photos by four students enrolled in documentary studies courses

CDS Spring Celebration

Thursday, April 24 at 5:00pm

Join Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) for a celebration and showcase of emerging documentary work. Everyone is welcome – students, faculty, staff and community members. View exhibitions of CDS ...

mfaedacommencement

MFA|EDA 2025 Commencement Celebration

Saturday, May 10 at 3:00pm

Join us as we celebrate the MFA|EDA Class of 2025 at the Center for Documentary Studies. Family, friends, colleagues, mentors, partners, diplomas, food, drink, revelry, his, high-fives. Come on by.

Past Events

View of two people sitting on a cliff overlooking the blue sea and sky

Text & Pix April Gathering

April 16, 2025

Students, faculty and community members are welcome to join the MFA|EDA and English/Creative Writing programs for the next gathering of the Text & Pix Collective! Hear from Tom Rankin and ...

AKind of Performance

A Kind of Performance: Artist Hangout

April 9, 2025

March 17-April 9 Center for Documentary Studies Lyndhurst Gallery Multimedia Installation Photography, digital video, generative media Artist Hangout, April 9, 4:00pm Ziwen Liu (1999, China) is a multimedia artist working ...

Sally Ride wears a flight suit. She is trying on a helmet.

FREE SCREENING: SALLY

April 6, 2025

FREE, ticket required Sunday, April 6, 5:30 p.m., Carolina Theatre: Fletcher Hall Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was ...

Fred Rogers looks toward camera, resting his chin in his hand

FREE SCREENING: WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

April 5, 2025

FREE, no ticket required. Saturday, April 5, 8:30 p.m., Durham Central Park Fred Rogers transformed children’s television with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister who believed that ...

Astronaut in suit looks toward camera

FREE SCREENING: APOLLO 11

April 4, 2025

FREE, no ticket required. Friday, April 4, 8:30 p.m., Durham Central Park. From director Todd Douglas Miller comes a cinematic event fifty years in the making. Crafted from a newly ...

The Apollo marquee lit at night

FREE SCREENING: THE APOLLO

April 3, 2025

FREE, ticket required. Thu, April 3, 10:30 a.m., Carolina Theatre: Fletcher Hall THE APOLLO (Dir. Roger Ross Williams) chronicles the legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater, covering the ...

Crowded theater during the 2024 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

April 3, 2025

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of nonfiction cinema. Each spring, Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around ...

Fictional photobook with the text "How We Spend Our Days"

Photobook Dummies Meetup

March 27, 2025

Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) is excited to host the March Meetup of Photobook Dummies, a monthly in-person gathering of photobook collectors, creators and enthusiasts that happens in Durham ...

James Robinson and Kelly Alexader with book

Author Talk: James Robinson

March 26, 2025

Join us for a discussion and book signing with James Robinson. Kelly Alexander will interview Robinson about his new illustrated novel “Whale Eyes,” journalism, disability and getting people to care. ...

Photos of the six DocX fellows with text that says DocX Residency Another World Is Possible

Welcome the DocX Fellows!

March 20, 2025

Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) is excited to introduce our DocX Residency Fellows to campus and invite you to join us for a Welcome Reception. DocX is a CDS ...

Ziwen Liu: A Kind of Performance

Ziwen Liu: A Kind of Performance

March 17, 2025

March 17-April 9 Center for Documentary Studies Lyndhurst Gallery Multimedia Installation Photography, digital video, generative media Ziwen Liu (1999, China) is a multimedia artist working as a filmmaker, photographer, and ...

Katelyn Lester: Western Semiotics

Katelyn Lester: Western Semiotics

March 17, 2025

March 17-April 9 Center for Documentary Studies Juanita Kreps Gallery Artist Talk March 27, 7:30pm Throughout my life, I have been immersed in the western community, from horseback riding to ...

Flyer for reception with title of show and three images of works in the show featuring the heads of males

“Jamaican Mascs” Closing Reception

February 28, 2025

Join us for the closing reception of “Jamaican Mascs,” an exhibition of documentary portraits and mixed-media collages that contest any singular representation of Jamaican masculinity. Curated by Jazmin Maço, this ...

Mia with Fur

Visible Spectrum: Portraits from the World of Autism

November 14, 2024 - February 28, 2025

Mary Berridge’s award­-winning series of pho­tographs is paired with narratives written pri­marily by the subjects or their parents. The exhibition, “Visible Spectrum,” offers an intimate view of life with autism, ...

Duke in L.A. Spring 2026 - Info Session

Duke in L.A. Study Away Info Session

February 27, 2025

Come learn about Duke in L.A.! The Duke in L.A. experience includes two seminars taught by Duke faculty, a student-selected course at the University of Southern California and a practicum ...

Portrait of Marie T. Cochran

Welcome Marie T. Cochran

February 18, 2025

Join us for a party to welcome renowned artist Marie T. Cochran and kick off her 2025 Visiting Artist Residency at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS). Cochran is an ...

Soldiers stand of front of a barrier marked Hollywoodgate

Full Frame Winter Road Show: HOLLYWOODGATE

February 6, 2025

Full Frame partners with The Cary Theater in Cary, N.C. to host a screening of the Oscar®-shortlisted documentary HOLLYWOODGATE. This screening is free and open to the public, though attendees ...

Image showing sculpture busts and a mannequin head

Text & Pix February Gathering

February 5, 2025

Students, faculty and community members are welcome to join the MFA|EDA and English/Creative Writing programs for the next gathering of the Text & Pix Collective! Hear from Professor Stan Abe ...

An individual shields their eyes from the sun with a sheaf of papers, standing in front of an Amazon sign

Full Frame Winter Road Show: UNION

January 30, 2025

Full Frame partners with The Cary Theater in Cary, N.C. to host a screening of the Oscar®-shortlisted documentary UNION. Winter Road Show screenings are free and open to the public, ...

A father and daughter embrace. They are at a dance wearing formal clothing.

Full Frame Winter Road Show: DAUGHTERS

January 23, 2025

Full Frame partners with The Cary Theater in Cary, N.C. to host a screening of the Oscar®-shortlisted documentary DAUGHTERS. All Winter Road Show screenings are free and open to the ...

Text & Pix Jan. Flyer

Text & Pix January Gathering

January 22, 2025

Students, faculty and community members are welcome to join the MFA|EDA and English/Creative Writing programs for the next gathering of the Text & Pix Collective! Hear from Professor Stan Abe ...

CDS Reception for Filmmaker Matt Moyer

October 22, 2024

Brunch Reception: Meet Matt Moyer, “Inheritance” (Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Writer) and learn more about the making of the film and careers in documentary filmmaking and journalism. Matt Moyer is a ...

Center for Documentary Studies, Lyndhurst House

Critical Generative AI with a Photographic Lens

October 10, 2024

This talk will demonstrate a practical approach to exploring generative visual artificial intelligence. Methods of shaping the visual outcomes will be discussed and demonstrated. Criticality, caution, and curiosity will be ...

War Game

War Game Film Screening and Panel

September 25, 2024

The Duke Program in American Grand Strategy invites you to a screening of and panel for the film: War Game on Wednesday, September 25th from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM ...

https://library.duke.edu/exhibits/2024/KrisGraves

Artist’s Talk with Kris Graves

September 12, 2024

Join Kris Graves for a discussion on his project “American Monuments” on view in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Refreshments and exhibit viewing will begin at ...