'The Other' Through Narrative Empathy in Animated Documentary

DRAWING THE UNSPEAKABLE – UNDERSTANDING ‘THE OTHER’ THROUGH NARRATIVE EMPATHY IN ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY JAN NÅLS Abstract ARCADA UNIVERSITY How to represent the suffering of distant others? AND UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI An international exchange program between Af- rica and Europe was set up in 2006 to tackle this issue with the help of documentary filmmaking. A result was A Kosovo Fairytale (2009), a case study of how animated documentary can provide insights in how to represent ‘the other’. Theories of narrative empathy inform the understanding of the process as well as the final film. This paper examines animated documentary from three distinct perspectives: as a pedagogical tool to enhance cultural understanding, as a process of narrative empathy, and as a coherent text which makes use of narrative strategies endemic to animated documentary in order to create emotional engagement. Conclusions suggest that animated documentary can be a novel way of representing the other, especially if narrative empathy is present throughout a production process, and that the process involves participatory elements where the subjects contribute to the narrative. Keywords: empathy, narrative, Africa, representation, animated documentary, refugee 28 Introduction of young international film students from extended periods of immersion by the Finland, Zimbabwe and South Africa. A researcher in the field. The main method How to represent ‘the other’ – be it with Kosovo Fairytale explores the history of used in ethnography is participant obser- regard to race, culture, gender or beyond one traumatized refugee family – the vation, and the aim of using this meth- – has long been a challenge in media Neziris – who fled to Finland from Koso- od is to facilitate the understanding of practice and its study (Hall, 1997; Sho- vo and in the process were separated cultural contexts from the inside (idem). hat & Stam, 2013; Nichols, 1992). An ad- from their youngest son, Albin. The Nezi- The process for A Kosovo Fairytale includ- ditional question is how to represent the ri family consists of a mother, father and ed immersion and participant observa- suffering of these others and traumatic Albin’s three older siblings. The narrative tion, but also another kind of participa- experiences in general. To gain new in- takes the form of a fairytale told through tory element. The subjects – the Neziri sights into these questions, an interna- a series of animated tableaus that direct- family – took part in the making of the tional exchange programme between ly address the child they left behind and film by drawing themselves, after which Africa and Europe was set up in 2006. explain to him the reasons why they were the drawings were used in the animation. The controlling principle was to explore forced to leave him. It raises questions cultures with the help of documentary related to the reasons and consequenc- This paper looks at animated documen- filmmaking. es of forced migration and the feelings of tary from two distinct perspectives. guilt of those who have left. Firstly, as a pedagogical process that In 2009, I acted as a supervisor for one helped young filmmakers as well as their multicultural group of young filmmakers The pedagogical approach was to use subjects to understand each other and from Africa and Northern Europe. The the documentary form, in this case ani- the broader cultural context in which process resulted in A Kosovo Fairytale mated documentary, as a tool inspired by they operate. Secondly, as a coherent (2009), a film that stands out as a case the tradition of ethnographic filmmaking. text that makes use of visual and narra- study of how animated documentary can As a product of colonialism, ethnograph- tive strategies endemic to animated doc- provide new insights and suggest solu- ic cinema – for a long period – created umentary in order to engage an audience tions to the challenges of representation audio-visual narratives of exotic others on an emotional level. of ‘the other’ in visual narrative. The case that have now been largely criticised and study also highlights the unique quality discredited (Eraso, 2006). Today, we are The production process can be under- of animated non-fiction as a medium witnessing a change in non-fiction cine- stood as an arena where authors expe- to represent traumatic events. My role ma in which cultural identities are being rience empathy with their subjects on as a supervisor allowed me to conduct analysed and represented very different- individual levels. This authors´ empathy is participatory observation throughout the ly from how they were in the past. We vital in order to understand subjects and making of the film. This paper examines can increasingly see, for instance, films to represent them fairly. Consequently, the case both as a process and finished where there is a multiplicity of voices – such sharing of feeling informs the nar- product. polyphonic films – where contradictory rative on various levels. Narrative struc- arguments appear, or filming conven- tures, such as the filmA Kosovo Fairytale, The production, a 15 minute animated tions are broken and cultural difference make use of many formal strategies that documentary with some live action se- is increasingly freed from tight scientif- are linked to empathic responses in an quences, was shot in Finland by a team ic conceptions. Ethnography requires audience. 29 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FILM AND MEDIA ARTS vol 1, n.º1 The theoretical background for this the challenges and moral problems self and other. Various problems arise study introduces empathy as a concept present in intercultural discourse has in intercultural mediation, which may be when examining both process and nar- developed throughout the history of doc- caused by cultural and political differenc- rative. Theories of narrative empathy umentary film (Finch & Nynas, 2011). es, and these are sometimes used to val- inform the understanding of the creative Today, people in different situations and idate stereotypical beliefs and images. process that resulted in the film A Koso- contexts face intercultural challenges. The editors argue that in both academic vo Fairytale. Narrative empathy, accord- These are a result of increasing mobility. and art circles, European perspectives ing to Keen (2006), can be understood Sometimes such challenges are brought have widely been understood as univer- as the sharing of feeling and perspec- about by crisis situations and an inter- sal. tive-taking induced by reading, viewing, national labor market. However, people hearing, or imagining narratives of an- also come in contact with each other Documentary, with roots in anthropol- other’s situation and condition. Narrative through forms of new technology such ogy, has historically been put to task in empathy plays a role in the aesthetics as the Internet, and through literature representing ’the other’ in various con- of production when authors experience and film. In these multicultural encoun- texts. And at least on the level of social it, in mental simulation during reading/ ters, misunderstandings and sometimes rhetoric, documentary films are still viewing, in the aesthetics of reception clashes are experienced. This volume made to give a voice to the voiceless, to when readers/viewers experience it, and presents studies in culture, communi- get close to those who are far away – in the narrative poetics of texts when cation, and language, all of which strive, to make the strange familiar (Barnouw, formal strategies invite it. As Keen and through a variety of theoretical perspec- 1993; Nichols, 1992; Bondebjerg, 2014). also Taylor suggest, empathy permeates tives, to develop understanding of such the whole creative process on different challenges and perhaps offer practical Documentary often deals with historical levels, with authors feeling empathy with solutions. Encountering otherness may events and experiences that cannot be their subjects and finally in the narrative evoke fears, negative attitudes, and a shown on screen since they have already poetics of the film, in this case through corresponding will to dismiss the other- passed. The genre also has a tradition to the use animated documentary (Keen, ness in front of us—either consciously or deal with conflict and trauma that can- 2006, Taylor 2002). unconsciously. This denial of otherness not be shown on screen without difficult may also be subtle. Thinking about oth- ethical choices. Hence, documentary erness, as described in this volume, also filmmakers have devised different strat- Animated documentary – The raises questions about how otherness egies to deal with these obstacles. Ever Art of Showing the Invisible is represented and mediated and about since Robert Flaherty staged scenes and Documentary representation is funda- the possible role of third parties in fa- had events re-enacted for the camera in mentally informed by the challenges of cilitating communication in such situa- Nanook of the North (1922), documenta- inter- and multicultural encounters since tions. Sometimes a third party can play ry has found ways in which to represent it always entails a dialogue between a a crucial role in facilitating the commu- the past. Interviews and re-enactments filmmaker and a subject that exists in nication process and serve as a channel are still dominant methods, and the use the world outside of the narrative – a of communication. Trust in humanity as of animation can be seen as a part of person, a community or a culture. There- a bridge to community requires a sub- the tradition of re-enactment. Animation fore, a heightened awareness towards tle balance between representations of makes the re-enactment explicit since it 30 AGAINST ANIMATED DOCUMENTARY? ANNABELLE HONESS ROE challenges the reality illusion of docu- Slavoj Žižek examines the ways we per- gender or race. Indeed, iconic represen- mentary film. ceive and misperceive violence. Drawing tations, such as animated characters, from his unique cultural vision, Žižek often elicit feelings of similarity –iden- The animated documentary is an estab- brings new light to the Paris riots of tification – by suggesting similarity of lished genre.

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