University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 7-2020 Election Day — Documentary John Thomas Tarpley University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the American Film Studies Commons, Film Production Commons, and the Journalism Studies Commons Citation Tarpley, J. T. (2020). Election Day — Documentary. Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3830 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Election Day — Documentary A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism by John Thomas Tarpley Lyon College Bachelor of Arts in English, 2010 July 2020 University of Arkansas This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council _________________________________ Colleen Thurston, M.F.A. Thesis Director _________________________________ _________________________________ Niketa Reed, M.A. Frank Milo Scheide, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member ABSTRACT Election Day is a three-channel documentary chronicling the places, personalities, and tone of Little Rock, Arkansas, during its titular midterm Election Day in November 2018. Throughout the course of the day, the film branches across the city, capturing mini-narratives, bits of conversation, and tableau of civic activity in the public sphere. It is less concerned with the quantitative facts of the day as it is with conveying the transitory social expressions and moods of a modern, southern city on a uniquely American day.