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"The Yes Men," a new political documentary, has hit theaters everywhere as a part of the growing

Soon enough, Michael Moore won’t be the only talk of the town.

As “Fahrenheit 9/11” trickles off the silver screen, other political documentaries are making their way into smaller movie theaters, and the numbers are growing. “The Yes Men,” which opened on Friday, is one of the many new documentaries. The film features two men who are mistaken for members of the World Trade Organization and attend lectures and conferences representing the WTO in order to point out its hypocrisy.

With the increased entrance of political documentaries in the mainstream media, it’s important not to overlook their societal and political role.

The main question is, has film become the new medium for influencing people’s political views?

“Political documentaries bring political discussion into our home,” said second-year political science student Bryan Park. “When they make it into the big screen or smaller movie theaters, regular moviegoers are able to understand what’s going on. ... Many more people will be more politically aware.”

But the validity of the political documentary is questioned due to its media category: the art of film. Usually showcasing one side of an issue, the documentary is in itself a political message enveloped in film.

“I think (political documentaries) are valuable,” said Park. “But they can also be dangerous. When people like the art form, they may associate the meaning of the art form as a doctrine of their own. When you take politics and add that sort of twist to it, it also becomes propaganda.”

While it may seem farfetched to claim that the political documentary will replace the more widespread, conventional news media, the art form strongly addresses a series of controversial issues that may begin to attract more public interest.

Still, documentary-goers are far outnumbered when compared with those who choose to get their news from radio, television and newspapers.

“I think movies are influential as a medium – they have the potential to move people,” said assistant political science professor Lynn Vavreck. “But most people who are interested enough in politics to go see a political documentary already know who they’re going to vote for.”

Whether or not the political documentary directly influences the American public is undetermined. But with the growing number of political films out in theaters, it is difficult to deny the fact that it is an art form that the American public has developed a taste for.

“Movies are generally an interpretation of the director,” said Park. “Even though these political documentaries may have facts to back up their interpretation, it’s still an opinion, and it’s not necessarily the right or truthful one.”