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Freida Lee Mock, an Oscar-winning documentarian, will be on campus this weekend to talk about her films.

The full-length documentary film is that elusive Hollywood art form which from time to time rises to the mainstream with releases such as “Bowling for Columbine” and “The Kid Stays in the Pictures.”

This weekend, through the School of Theatre, Film, Television and Digital Media, UCLA students have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of what goes into making a documentary from Academy Award winning documentarian Freida Lee Mock, and it’s free.

“The Strong Clear Vision of Freida Lee Mock” is the workshop that will take place Saturday, after screenings of Mock’s two Academy-nominated films.

“Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision,” which took home the statue in 1995 for Best Feature Documentary, tells the story behind the artist/architect who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the impact the memorial has had on America.

As a documentary of one of the most visited memorials in the world, Mock’s film may guide artists and architects hoping to construct a future Sept. 11, 2001 memorial in New York.

“Sing,” Mock’s most recently nominated documentary short, is about a L.A. community-based children’s chorus overcoming hardships.

“Both are life-affirming stories, and “Sing” is actually quite funny,” Mock said.

Mock will focus her workshop this Saturday on the processes that go into making a feature documentary film. After studying history and law at Berkeley, Mock has spent the last 23 years making documentaries, and her filmography is, as she puts it, “all over the map.” Mock has movies ranging from portraits of artists to political, and social issues to the art of screen writing.

“I got lucky right out of school,” Mock said about beginning her career working on “National Geographic” and the “Jacques Cousteau” series.

“I am interested in a huge variety of things,” Mock said. “I am drawn to stories with political and social relevance, but told through a narrative.”

This is seen through her choice of projects which often focuses on an individual, or one unified group, representing a storm of broad issues and themes.

According to Marina Goldovskaya, UCLA professor and coordinator of the documentary salons, Mock’s films, characters and stories influence people’s attitudes, lives and visions of reality.

This weekend’s workshop promises to explore Mock’s years of experience as a documentarian.

“The workshop is designed to look at the process of how to make a theatrical documentary film,” Mock said. “And I am delighted to be a part of it.”

Goldovskaya, who organizes these salons several times a quarter, displayed particular excitement for this upcoming event.

“Mock is one of the rare filmmakers and artists who is extremely sensitive and sensible for the time we are living in, and who has an amazing feel for topics, stories and characters that make a difference.”

The screenings will take place Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall. The workshops will follow on Saturday Nov. 2 from 2-5 p.m. in 2534 Melnitz Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.