Dynamics of Runtime in Ukrainian Documentary Cinema (2014–2024)

D. Falkovskyi

Abstract


The purpose of the research is to analyze the dynamics of runtime in Ukrainian documentary cinema (2014–2024) and to determine structural changes in the ratio of short and feature-length formats affecting the median duration.

The research methodology. The study is based on the quantitative analysis of 970 Ukrainian documentary films retrieved from IMDb. Methods of descriptive statistics were applied, including median calculation and interval distribution analysis. Data cleaning and aggregation were conducted in accordance with the defined unit of analysis – an individual documentary film.

Results. The article analyzes the dynamics of runtime in Ukrainian documentary cinema during 2014–2024 based on a quantitative examination of IMDb data. The study identifies structural shifts in the proportion of short and feature-length documentaries and their influence on median runtime. The findings demonstrate that the median does not show a monotonic trend; instead, its fluctuations are determined by changes in format distribution. A shift toward short films in 2022–2023 led to a decrease in median runtime, while the dominance of feature-length productions in 2024 resulted in its increase. The research also reveals stable interval clusters of duration: short documentaries are under 40 minutes, whereas feature-length films are mainly concentrated within the 70–99 minute range.

Novelty. For the first time, a quantitative analysis of runtime dynamics in Ukrainian documentary cinema (2014–2024) has been carried out on the basis of a large-scale aggregated dataset. The study demonstrates that changes in median duration are driven by structural shifts in format distribution rather than by transformations of internal runtime within each format group.

Practical significance. The results may be applied in analyzing the format structure of Ukrainian documentary production, forecasting its development, and in teaching courses related to documentary cinema and audiovisual production.

Key words: screen documentary, Ukrainian documentary, documentary cinema, evidentiary cinema, visual means, video content, russian-Ukrainian war.


References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.32840/cpu2219-8741/2025.4(64).10

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