1.
Pawel Pawlikowski argues in his essay, ‘The Burning Question’, in ‘Imagining Reality’, that the future of documentary ‘does not look good’ due to the fast developing industrailaisation of contemporary television. He suggests that a TV editors cheapest and safest option is to put a camera in ‘interesting places; hospitals, prisons, army barracks, police stations, customs offices, taxis, court rooms and filming events as they unfold.’
Here, he is of course referring to the countless ‘Reality TV’ programs that dominate our screens, such as ‘Border Security’, ‘Judge Judy’ or that ridiculous show about breath testing.
I, personally, had never considered any of these programs ‘documentaries’. In fact, I despise them. Being forced to view my mum, brother or sister’s fixation regarding who would build the best kitchen or perform the best Britney Spears cover is enough to make me tear my hair out with frustration. But apparently, it doesn’t matter if I like it or not – ‘This type of documentary is our future’.
Perhaps more through hope than anything else, I disagree with this statement. Whilst these shows have been undoubtedly successful for the major networks over the past decade, true documentary film still exists and the contemporary audience is still responding to it. From the top of my mind, some of my favorite documentary films have been released in the peak of this reality wave; ‘Blackfish, ‘We Steal Secrets’ and ‘Blood Brother’, all of which were a success amongst the critics and the box office.
I also have to ask, what have these so-called ‘documentary’ television shows really replaced? Have we ever really witnessed the best documentary film on the major television networks? Or am I being naive in my youth?
2.
Pawilkowski also reminds us of the importance of concentrating on film-making as opposed to recording. This touches upon the idea of ‘collaboration’ between the director, camera operator and the other crew involved in the filmmaking process.
I, myself, have been guilty of simply ‘recording’ when behind the camera. The cameraman needs to be responsiveto the subject and be able to know when and where to film at what time. The key is to listen. Oh, and of course, to know the personal vision of the director.
On this same topic, Pawilkowski reminds us that a docuentary film can go beyond conveyng objective information, a common mistake when understanding documentary. This has encouraged me not to be afraid when developing and creating my documentary film – to show the world as how I see it, or would like them to see it.
