The Dancer

Tabloid is a documentary by Errol Morris in 2015. The documentary tells the story of Joyce McKinney, who was accused of kidnapping and raping Kirk Anderson in 1977. besides, the incident, known as the Mormon chain became a major British tabloid story. The incidents have caused two newspapers Daily Mirror and the Daily Express to report it widely. The film is based on interview with three people, which include Mckinney, journalist Peter Tory and photographer  Kent Gavin. Each people shared their views and attitude to the incident. The film is mainly told by Mckinney herself. Besides, interviews with other figures and experts are added as the way to show the whole picture of the incident.

However, some scholar believed it might be a harmful documentary for a victim in the real life. J Sparks & Tulloch said it would be a bad example in media standards and hurt the feeling of Mckinney (Sparks & Tulloch 2000). In fact, I did not like the scenes in the documentary. It might be a little strange to treat the victim in this way. Mckinney claimed the lawsuit for two times, but both of the claims are failed. Inen said, the documentary Tabloid may hurt the feeling of women in the common life, because in most cases women are often the inferior part in incidents (Inen 2016).

Reference

Inen, S. V. L. 2016. “she must be an odd kind of woman”: gendered categorizations in accounts of lethal intimate partner violence in finnish tabloid news. Feminism & Psychology, 26(4).

Sparks, C., & Tulloch, J. 2000. Tabloid tales : global debates over media standards. Rowman & Littlefield.

True Lies is a documentary of a senior agent of FBI called Harry in the United States. In order to look into a smuggling case of transnational nuclear weapons, Harry did not even tell his real identity to his wife Helen who have married for 15 years. As an ordinary white-collar worker, the ordinary life has made Helen quite tired (Prince1996). Once, a car dealer Simon disguised himself as a FBI agent and escaped to Helen’s home and said he was being hunted. The stressful experience quickly made Helen excited. However, the truths did not escape the eyes of real FBI agent Harry. Harry used his detective methods to make Simon quite upset and amusing. However, when the real terrorists appeared, Harry and Helen started to escape.

The documentary is a good explanation about the course in learning how to tell the differences between truth and lies. The relationship between ideas of truth and lies are shown in political, and ethical level. According to Langleben, D, a lie related to law and it is intended to convince others of the truth (Langleben, Dattilio & Guthei 2006). The liar thinks it’s false but he still try to persuade others. Meanwhile, the film looked into how these concepts and practices are related to the idea of truth.

Reference

Langleben, D. D., Dattilio, F. M., & Guthei, T. G. 2006. True lies: delusions and lie-detection technology. The Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 34(3), 351-370.

Prince, S. 1996. True Lies Perceptual Realism, Digital Images, and Film Theory. Film Quarterly (ARCHIVE), 49(3), 27.

<Forbidden Lies>2

Anna Broinowski is the director of film. At first she was not interested in the book Forbidden Love by Norma Khouri. She felt that the story was about anti-muslim context. However, when she found that Norma had been accused of promoting false story, she saw an opportunity to make a documentary about it. For this film, the subject was not forced or tricked somehow to take part in the film or reveal information. The participant was given full independence while talking about her stands about the issue. Evidently, Khouri cooperated in the whole process of filmmaking as she wanted media spotlight so that she could prove herself innocent.

However, in the film, Khouri significantly shows manipulative attitude when she was approached to admit the accusations against her. The director became frustrated with her at times. She did not admit the crime she committed. When she was taken to Jordan in a hunt of searching the truth, she was actually enjoying the tour even though she knew she was lying (Buckmaster). This comforting attitude of the participant even disturbed the filmmaker.

In the film, there were interviews with journalists and activists who were against the book’s story. Also the subject was tied to a lie detector to reveal the truth. Moreover, Norma’s family was present there. Although her family was trying to help her, Norma tried to blame them in an attempt to shift the focus of the film to another direction. Also, when she is taken to Jordan, she does not specify any details which can possibly prove her points or rules out the accusations against her.

From the film, it is understandable that Broinowski had a hard time trying to get the truth and she fails to do so as Norma did not admit anything on camera. However the director did not force or manipulate the subject into revealing anything. She let the subject act on her own will. Moreover, the director also felt particularly happy about the film as it was a true masterpiece. The director even involved her husband and other journalist to watch the recording of the film and then include their reaction in the actual release of Forbidden Lies. The reactions create a unique and exciting element in the film.

Forbidden Lies is an engaging documentary from which the audience can learn a lot of things. Firstly the film shows how manipulative a con artist can be when they are asked questions about their mischief. Also they get a very important message- people should not just believe what is written on the books.

<Forbidden Lies>

From the documentary movie Forbidden Lies, many questions about the ethics of documentaries can be answered. First some synopsis about the movie should be discussed. Forbidden Lies is basically a real life thriller film, if one watches it for the first time as it depicts very exciting moment between the filmmaker and the social actor or in other words participant. The documentary is based on the accusation posed on the author Norma Khouri about faking the story of a famous story. It was claimed that Khouri’s best-selling book was fraudulent. The story of the book is about an honor killing of a girl called Dalia who was supposedly the best friend of Khauri in Jordan. Dalia was a Muslim woman and fell in love with a Christian man. For that reason her father and brothers killed her thinking she had brought upon shame on their family. The book was sold about 500,000 copies in 15 different countries. However, Sydney journalist named Malcolm Knox claimed that the book was a fake.

Forbidden Lies involves Norma Khouri and her writing, life story, accusation against her, her lies and lots of other aspects. The director uses observational footage in the movie. Observational mode of documentary allows the filmmaker to observe the participant closely in a more natural setup. This type of documentary creates an environment where the participant feels more relaxed as the participant may not get the feeling that there is a camera present. In many cases, handheld cameras are used in this method. For this particular movie, this mode of documentary was used because the director wanted to make the participant feel at home in an attempt of getting the truth from the participant. The film shows CGI effect, stylized shots, book reading and interviews. As a result, it produces a complex attire and exciting film for the viewers.

All The Way Through Evening is a musical documentary by Rohan Spong in 2012. The documentary tells the story of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City. Every year, the strange old East Village pianist Mimi Stern Wolfe performs music for the people who was lost to HIV / AIDS. All night, Mimi and her Choirs practised several number of program before the twentieth World AIDS Day. The documentary showed some amazing music compositions in the early HIV/AIDS of New York. And the music acted as the power to fight against the HIV / AIDS. Besides, a close interviews with the musicians, families and friends are shown in the music documentary.

According to F Trigg, a woman has organized an inspiring and conscious annual concert to commemorate the past and present musicians infected with HIV / AIDS for twenty years (Trigg 2013). The spirit of Mimi Stern Wolfe is so great. Wanda Bershen suggested the core of the documentary is the relationship between the filmmaker and the subjects (Bershen 2010). It may not be the balance of power. To a large extent, the film producer decides how to do it. Therefore the connection in music documentary can be flexible and impressive.

Reference

Trigg, F. 2013. Sustaining memory with music: all the way through evening. Metro Magazine Media & Education Magazine(176).

Bershen, W. 2010. A Question of Ethics: The Relationship between Filmmaker and Subject. documentary. org.

Winter at Westbeth is the documentary of the Australian filmmaker Rohan Spong. It tells the story of three experienced artists living in the Westbeth Artists Housing in New York. The film was first shown in IFC Center to celebrate the coming birthday of Edith Stephen. Video artist Edith Stephen hopes to complete an experimental movie on her birthday. Winter at Westbeth reveals an exciting and inspiring story of an old artist’s community (Ross 2017). The story of dealing with aging, the social networking, and the need for care and their hopes in the aged stage are shown in a documentary form. Meanwhile, Walter Rutledge interviewed the three lovely artists in the documentary.

The focus to the elder people revealed some deep and valuable problems in the society. The three talented artists was alone in the Westbeth Artists Housing. But they hold strong beliefs about their future. The way of documentary is enlightening to show the positive spirit of three artists. Dudley Williams even wish to be a dancer in the community (Ross 2017). The inspiring story about communities, aging and the need to seek for positive life in the aged group has a strong effect among the community as well as the society.

Reference

Ross, E. 2017. Blossoming in time: Art and age in Rohan Spong’s’ Winter at Westbeth’. Metro Magazine: Media & Education Magazine, (191), 98.

Pitch & Proposal Written Document

• Logline

This documentary focuses on a girl who always enthusiastic about dancing, which then caused her to break through all the challenges from external and internal (parents) factor. Finally, found her own dance studio in Melbourne.

• One paragraph synopsis 

Eighteen years old Lyn, who is a year-one business student at Monash University and starts dancing when she was three years old. In the later years, she found her greatest joy in dancing and especially with the friends who truly love dancing, and tried to share their inner resonance and excitement with others. Unfortunately, she was strongly opposed by the family during that period since they thought she should concentrate on her study instead. However, Lyn’s persistence effort on dancing and her passion on dancing slowly impressed and touched her parents bit by bit. Finally, through her continuous long-term efforts on dancing, she then found her own dance studio-Y9 in last month (in the end of the March) with the support of her family.

• One page treatment (or over)

Expressing Lyn(interviewee) is enthusiastic and persistent with dancing are our main focus in this documentary. Her perseverance on dancing encourages her to found own dance studio in Melbourne. Popularising dance and delivering the joy of dancing are the purpose Lyn wants to present through her dance studio. Thus, we decided to use a series of interesting shooting techniques and perspectives to present the main concept. Interview shots of Lyn as mainline will be use throughout the whole process

The intersection of Swanston St and Bourke St appears, Lyn is holding the camera walking along Swanston St, all the way to her Y-9 Studio. Arriving there, she starts to introduce her studio and partners. Music begins when her partners begin to dance. Lyn is reflected in the mirror with the camera in hand, wearing a dark dance suit and black cap.  (First perspective) Lyn and three of her friends appear in four frames but one scene to tell their impression on Lyn. Come to the point that Lyn starts to introduce herself.

Lyn began to recount her own previous experiences and story with smoothing music on. The photography and videos of her childhood appears. Lyn recalled her dance experience while she is walking by the place she bought her first toe shoes. Also keep on telling how stressed she was when she was learning Ballet and Latin at four years old, locked herself in the dance room, keep practicing. (All slow scene with soothing music)

She appears to introduce the reason of found a dance studio, then revealing the environment of the Y-9 studio. Presenting how she was seizing every minute to dance, to balance study time and dance time with the fast-paced music. Catching trams, timing the exact dance time so that parents will not doubt her whether she against their will or not. Her tears or sadness detailedly appears to emphasise her difficulties and hardship in dancing. Transforming to her perspiration dropped on the floor due to her diligent in dancing. Excited and delighted face shows the joy of dancing for her and then she tells that her parents are touched and impressed due to her passion and persistence effort. Lyn’s parents chose to comprehend and support.

The optimistic music is on; Lyn starts to tell the original intention of finding the dance studio and trying to deliver the joy of dancing to others. Focusing on her earnest while teaching students. Lyn’s students describe how Lyn presents as a Jazz dance instructor and the positive influence of Lyn on dancing. Some videos or photos of commercial performances present with the introduction provided by Lyn. It then appears Lyn is dancing joyfully on the street at dusk, the sea at sunset, the rooftop at sunrise with the cheerful and accelerated rhythm.

Lyn’s friends and Lyn are having the rest, chatting, telling their expectation for the future. She starts to dance along, as music goes on, more and more friends join from her two sides. Ending with the finish of their dancing and saying goodbye to everyone who in front of the camera.

• Ethics charter

• Negotiate with the interviewee about what we are going to film or what questions may contain in the documentary for few time (enough time).
• Spend more time with the interviewee so that we can understand her in-depth. 
• Leave enough time for the interviewee to prepare for the interview question. 
• Make sure the shooting time and location with the interviewee and be on time. 
• Any time changing, content changing or location changing have to tell and negotiate with her 2-3 days before original time. 
• Choose the places she is comfortable with to film. 
• Cannot film what the interviewee doesn’t want to present to the public. 
• Help her to relax in front of the camera, such as chatting with her in the relaxing mood. 
• Turn the camera off if the interviewee asks for it to be turned off.
• Cannot film the interviewee if she is not prepared/not ready for the camera to be turn on.
• Arrange the break time for her during filming. 
• Keep all the promises made to the interviewee. 
• Have to ask her sign the release form before shooting. 
• Present a copy of the finished documentary to the interviewee before it is submitted and made public.

• Project Schedule

References：

Documentary film:  Pina, directed by Wim Wenders  https://vimeo.com/31227698

Documentary film:Sergei Polunin Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXsP-AAL-7M

Documentary film:  world Bang http://www.iqiyi.com/w_19rv66von5.html

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av2182533/?share_source=weixin&ts=1523613438&share_medium=iphone&bbid=5c4a585b1ee4537ddc423bda632daef9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BtKK9tEY1E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeUEOHpx0PA

https://vimeo.com/87850219

https://vimeo.com/160441369

Tabloid is a documentary by Errol Morris in 2015. The documentary tells the story of Joyce McKinney, who was accused of kidnapping and raping Kirk Anderson in 1977. besides, the incident, known as the Mormon chain became a major British tabloid story. The incidents have caused two newspapers Daily Mirror and the Daily Express to report it widely. The film is based on interview with three people, which include Mckinney, journalist Peter Tory and photographer  Kent Gavin. Each people shared their views and attitude to the incident. The film is mainly told by Mckinney herself. Besides, interviews with other figures and experts are added as the way to show the whole picture of the incident.

However, some scholar believed it might be a harmful documentary for a victim in the real life. J Sparks & Tulloch said it would be a bad example in media standards and hurt the feeling of Mckinney (Sparks & Tulloch 2000). In fact, I did not like the scenes in the documentary. It might be a little strange to treat the victim in this way. Mckinney claimed the lawsuit for two times, but both of the claims are failed. Inen said, the documentary Tabloid may hurt the feeling of women in the common life, because in most cases women are often the inferior part in incidents (Inen 2016).

Reference

Inen, S. V. L. 2016. “she must be an odd kind of woman”: gendered categorizations in accounts of lethal intimate partner violence in finnish tabloid news. Feminism & Psychology, 26(4).

Sparks, C., & Tulloch, J. 2000. Tabloid tales : global debates over media standards. Rowman & Littlefield.

Born in Brothels is an India American documentary about Sonagachi’s prostitute in Calcutta’s red light district in 2004. As the documentary photographer, Briski went to Calcutta to take pictures of prostitutes. In Calcutta, she made friends with her children, and willing to teach children to take pictures (Z Briski 2004). Children get cameras and they can learn photography that involves their lives. The photos described the life of the red light area. And most of them comes from the eyes of the neglected children, the great wish to live a normal life. Some scenes such as the study of some children in boarding schools were also shown.

Turnbull explained the relationship between agency and the camera (Turnbull 2014). The camera has the special effect to show the real and broad view of the society. The scenes of children in the documentary showed the serious condition of children in the red light district. The children wish to be cared by the people around them, and they wish to go to school. However, the improvished condition forced children to give up their school study. Born in Brothels has won a series of honors, including the 2004 Oscar documentary award.

Reference

Z Briski, 2004. Born into brothels: Photographs by the children of Calcutta[M]. Umbrage Editions .

Turnbull, 2014. Charismatic agency’ and the power of seduction. Media & Education Magazine.