PRACTITIONERS
Errol Morris Errol Morris' unique contributions to the documentary film category were significant with many examples of weird or investigative films with offbeat and unusual subject matter. The Thin Blue Line (1988) helped get its subject – a prisoner sentenced to life for killing a police officer – sprung from jail. Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/oct/28/errol-morris-tabloid-joyce-mckinney and http://www.filmsite.org/docfilms2.html This video discusses the theatrical investigation of Randall Adams and David Harris, who were sentenced to jail for the killing of a police officer. Randall Adams was sentenced to life. This documentary 'broke new ground cinematic style' as it examines the truth of the case. Errol Morris explains that sometimes we accept the truth because its 'convenient.' This documentary lets you work out the truth for yourself, as Morris presents raw material with no voice over. This relates back to the use of the fly on the wall experience as used in direct cinema. This was one of the first films to use re-creations. It enabled the audience to experience the action of what happened and to make their own judgement as to what they believed. Re-creations were unheard of in his time, but made Morris a great story teller. The film was edited to the music and 'functions completely integrally as a whole.' It's 'hypnotic'. Eventually, David Harris admits his crime in a taped interview. Morris was directly responsible for the release of innocent Randall Adams. John Grierson (1898-1972) Grierson’s influence on factual film-making was immense, underpinned by a strong social commitment. Of this he said: “The basic force behind [documentary] was social and not æsthetic. It was a desire to make a drama out of the ordinary, to set against the prevailing drama of the extraordinary: a desire to bring the citizen’s eye in from the ends of the earth to the story, his own story, of what was happening under his nose.” sourced: http://www.griersontrust.org/john-grierson.html 'Grierson was the founder of the British documentary movement of the thirties and coined the word.' sourced: http://www.britmovie.co.uk/directors/John-Grierson/ John Grierson was heavily influenced by ideas about the educative possibilities of documentary and he argued strongly for support of both production and distribution of films for the education of audiences as a contribution to the development of an informed citizenry. Sourced: http://learn.winchester.ac.uk/file.php/1179/2011-12/docu_defintions_trigger_modes_and_terms_sheet_PDF.pdf JOHN PILGER 'John Pilger is an award-winning journalist, film-maker and columnist who has covered world events for at least three decades now. He covered American politics in the ’60s and ’70s, Vietnam, Cambodia and East Timor — and has been a fiery advocate for the rights of the dispossessed.' Sourced: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/news-that-holds-authority-to-a-is-still-left-out/876373/0 The War You Dont See is a documentary film that asks what the role of media is in wars, and how these wars are reported and justified. It draws on Pigers own experiences, and questions media institutes such as BBC as to why they pick and choose what to show to the public - for example not showing the evidence that Sadam Hussain was unarmed when he was killed. 1billion is spent on advertising to recruit for the war via propoganda which manipulates the audience. This documentary is a great example of how Pilger is used as a Catalyst to get the answers the public want to know - This relates back to Bill Nicholson. This documentary is a form of the Participatory mode and political reflexivity as Pilger demonstrates how there is a strong argument that could be made not to go to war. He builds a relationship with the audience and shows them the 'truth' by exposing the lies behind war. |
