POV Community Engagement & Education DISCUSSION GUIDE

Point and Shoot A Film by Marshall Curry

www.pbs.org/pov LETTER FROM THE FILMMAKER

Three years ago, I got an email out of the blue from a young guy named Matt VanDyke. He introduced himself, said he had seen my films and told me he had recently returned from Libya, where he had been helping rebels overthrow dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He said he had over 100 hours of footage from the ex- perience and thought it would make a great documentary.

I was intrigued, but explained that I only worked on projects where I had complete creative independence and control, and he said he understood. A few weeks later he came to New York and spent an afternoon telling his story to my producing partner, Elizabeth Martin (who is also my wife), and me.

Matt was a fascinating person, provocative and hard to pin down. His story was rich with questions about how we become adults, about adventure and idealism and about the nature of war in the “age of the selfie.” After he left, my wife and I talked for hours about his story and the issues it had raised.

Generating those kinds of discussions is the reason I make doc- umentaries. So we thought, “Let’s make a film that replicates the experience we just had, where the audience sits down with a stranger and hears an amazing, controversial story—and then walks out of the theater to grapple with it.”

When I was younger I used to love hitchhiking because it brought me in touch with people whom I would otherwise never meet—people whose lives and world-views were completely dif- ferent from mine. I loved asking questions and digging for the stories that made them who they were. And I always found my- self stretched by the experience—a tiny bit wiser about the com- plexity of human experience. Filmmaker Marshall Curry. We knew that different people would interpret their 85-minute “car ride” with Matt VanDyke differently. Was he Lawrence of Arabia? Don Quixote? Christopher McCandless from Into the Wild? Ernest Hemingway in the Spanish Civil War? Or some com- bination who had changed and morphed over the course of his life?

The film would raise questions through the telling of the story, but it wouldn’t answer those questions for the audience. It was- n’t going to be a 60 Minutes-style investigative report where I tried to win arguments with my interview subject. And it was- n’t going to be a Hollywood movie, sewn up neatly at the end. In the spirit of The Kid Stays in the Picture or The Fog of War, I would let the subject of the film offer his uniquely subjective take on his story and invite the audience to wrestle with it on their own. This was going to be a film for people who liked to chew their own food.

So I took a cameraman to Baltimore and, over the course of a few months, recorded 20-something hours of interviews with Matt.

As a filmmaker, one of the things that struck me about Matt’s story was the role that cameras played, not simply in docu- menting his life, but in shaping it.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |2 LETTER FROM THE FILMMAKER

Salman Rushdie has said that telling stories about our lives gives us control over them—how people see us and how we see our- selves. Today, more and more, we tell these stories with cell phone cameras, Facebook and Twitter, and often the images that we create affect who we actually become.

When Matt begins his journey—his “crash course in manhood”— he tries to project a braver, more confident version of himself for the camera, even taking on a tougher sounding name: Max Hunter. But what begins as simply image-making turns into re- ality, and Matt explains that he actually started to become the character he was playing on film.The filming somehow made it real.

We see American soldiers in Iraq performing for his camera dur- ing a raid, self-consciously trying to come off as their idealized image of soldiers. And we see Libyan soldiers doing the same. Filmmaker Marshall Curry. Even as they engage in dangerous high-minded acts of self-sac- rifice, they want to have footage of themselves looking like the Hollywood action heroes they grew up watching. And at the end of the war, some rebels even pause as they kill a captured Gaddafi to shoot gruesome “selfies” of themselves at the scene.

As I edited the hundreds of hours of footage, I began to notice the power of homemade images in almost every scene, from the Australian adventure footage that inspired Matt’s initial journey, to the Arab Spring activists whose cell phones didn’t just document their revolutions, but drove them. Matt even uses his camera to help control his obsessive-compulsive disorder: putting a frame around an experience somehow turns it into something he can control. And toward the end, Matt explains that even though he had been a part of the Libyan rebellion for months, it was seeing himself on national television that truly validated his role as a rebel fighter. Television made it real.

To me, this movie is a provocative adventure story that flashes light on questions that interest me. How should we achieve “manhood,” and how should we even define the term? Where should we place ourselves on the spectrum between a fearful life trapped in a cubicle and ill-considered recklessness?

What is the difference between bravery and thoughtlessness? And what is the complex mixture of selflessness and narcis- sism that drives us? What is the power of friendship, and what are the dangers of wading into foreign wars?

How does creating and maintaining our online personas affect who we really are? And how is modern war changed by a world in which anyone can be a filmmaker, and anyone can be a movie star?

This has been a deeply engaging film to make. And my favorite part of each screening has been to sit back when the movie is over and just listen to people argue about the questions it raises.

Marshall Curry Director/Producer/Editor, Point and Shoot

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CREDITS

2 Letter from the Filmmaker Writer 5 Introduction Faith Rogow, PhD 6 Potential Partners Insighters Educational Consulting

6 Key Issues Background Research and Reporting 6 Using This Guide Margaret Brown 7 Background Information 7 Matt VanDyke Guide Producers and Background Research, POV 8 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Eliza Licht 8 Fighting in Foreign Wars Vice President, Content Strategy and Engagement , POV 9 Traditional Journalism, Aubrey Gallegos Manager, Community Engagement and Education, POV Citizen Journalism Alice Quinlan and Documentary Filmmaking Assistant, Community Engagement and Education, POV 12 Selected People Featured in Point and Shoot Design: 13 General Discussion Questions Rafael Jiménez

14 Discussion Prompts Copy Editor: 19 Taking Action Natalie Danford 20 Resources

22 How to Buy the Film Thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

Marshall Curry Director/Producer/Editor, Point and Shoot

Elizabeth Martin Producer, Point and Shoot

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |4 INTRODUCTION

Matt VanDyke in a Libyan prison cell. In 2006, Matt VanDyke, a timid 27-year-old with obsessive- Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke compulsive disorder, left home in Baltimore and set off on a self-described “crash course in manhood.” He bought a mo- torcycle and a video camera and began a three-year, 35,000-mile motorcycle trip through North Africa and the footage and after-the-fact interviews to explore how the Middle East. presence of cameras influences everything that VanDyke ex- periences, from helping him control his obsessive-compul- While traveling, he struck up an unlikely friendship with a sive disorder to documenting the intensity of war. As an Libyan hippie named Nuri, and when the revolution broke outreach tool, Point and Shoot invites viewers to probe the out in Libya, Matt joined his friend in the fight to oust Muam- increasing role of phones, cameras and online networks in mar Gaddafi. With a gun in one hand and a camera in the revolutions, the shaping of self-identity and the way we tell other, Matt fought in—and filmed—the 2011 war until he was and interpret the stories at the center of our culture and our captured by Gaddafi forces and held in solitary confinement lives. for nearly six months.

The feature length (82 min.) film Point and Shoot tells VanDyke’s harrowing and revealing story of personal trans- formation. Filmmaker Marshall Curry uses his subject’s

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |5 POTENTIAL PARTNERS KEY ISSUES

Point and Shoot is well suited for use in a variety of set- Point and Shoot is an excellent tool for outreach and tings and is especially recommended for use with: will be of special interest to people looking to explore the following topics: •Your local PBS station •Groups that have discussed previous Marshall •action/adventure movies Curry films (Street Fight, Racing Dreams, If a Tree •alter ego Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front) or •Arab Spring POV films relating to documenting war or the •autobiography Arab Spring, including War Feels Like War, •citizen journalism 5 Broken Cameras, Armadillo, The Act of Killing and Return to Homs. •digital media •documentary filmmaking •Groups focused on any of the issues listed in the Key Issues section •embedded journalism •High school students, youth groups and clubs •identity •Faith-based organizations and institutions •journalism •Libya •Cultural, art and historical organizations, institutions and museums •manhood •Civic, fraternal and community groups •media effects •media literacy •Academic departments and student groups at colleges, universities and high schools •Middle East •Community organizations with a mission to •North Africa promote education and learning, such as local •obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) libraries. •psychology •travel •violence •war •war reporting

USING THIS GUIDE

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection, designed for people who want to use Point and Shoot to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions conversa- tions undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by shar- ing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit www.pov.org/engage

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |6 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Matt VanDyke in Sirte, Libya. Matt VanDyke Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke Matt VanDyke was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1979 to a single mother, Sharon, an elementary school principal. He holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Mary- In an article by Van Smith published in Baltimore’s City Paper land, Baltimore County and a master’s degree in security in February 2015, VanDyke is quoted as saying that he is cur- studies with a regional concentration in the Middle East from rently "working to help raise and train a Christian army of Georgetown University. He met Lauren Fischer, his girlfriend 2,000 men to fight ISIS in Iraq.” VanDyke is also quoted as during the period depicted in the film, in 2006 in Madrid, saying that his company, Sons of Liberty International, “pro- Spain, where she was teaching English. The couple split in vides free military consulting and training to populations fac- 2014. ing threats from terrorists, insurgent groups and oppressive regimes.” VanDyke has worked as a documentary filmmaker, war cor- respondent, political columnist, blogger, talk radio host, Eng- Sources lish teacher, international businessman and soldier. His The Official Website of Matthew VanDyke. “About Matthew VanDyke.” motorcycle journey began in 2007 and lasted until 2010. As http://www.matthewvandyke.com/about.html#family. part of that journey, he served as an embedded journalist in Iraq and in Afghanistan. In 2011 he was a combatant and pris- Smith, Van. “Baltimore's Matthew Van Dyke is taking up arms against ISIS.” City Paper, February 24, 2015. oner-of-war in Libya. Most recently, he spent time in Syria http://www.citypaper.com/blogs/the-news-hole/bcp-baltimores- making the documentary Not Anymore: A Story of Revolu- matthew-van-dyke-is-taking-up-arms-against-isis-20150224-story.html tion.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |7 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Matt reviews his footage at home in Baltimore. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Photo courtesy of Point and Shoot In Point and Shoot, one of the first things we learn about Matt VanDyke is that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). VanDyke frequently washes his hands, and he re- Fighting in Foreign Wars ports anxiety in relation to squat toilets, germs and sugar. Matt VanDyke is not alone in his desire to fight alongside As VanDyke journeys across the Middle East, he struggles rebels in foreign wars. Famous writers from John Reed—who with his OCD, especially in stressful environments, such as got involved in the Bolshevik Revolution—to Ernest Hem- prison and the battlefield. ingway—who wrote about his time fighting in the Spanish According to the International OCD Foundation, obsessive- Civil War—have fought in wars between other countries. compulsive disorder is “a disorder of the brain and behav- In recent years, a small number of Americans have taken up ior.” According to the Mayo Clinic, OCD “is characterized by arms in civil wars in the Middle East. In August 2011, UCLA unreasonable thoughts and fears,” otherwise known as ob- student Chris Jeon reportedly joined rebel forces in Libya as sessions. In the context of OCD, “obsessions” are thoughts, a part of his summer vacation, saying “It is the end of my impulses and rituals that an individual feels the need to per- summer vacation, so I thought it would be cool to join the form over and over again to a degree that they interfere with rebels.” Jeon spent two weeks with Libyan rebels before re- daily life. People with OCD find these impulses distressing, turning to UCLA for the fall 2011 semester. and sometimes the obsessions can become debilitating. There have been scattered reports of other Americans fight- Sources ing abroad, including an estimated 15 U.S. Army veterans who have traveled to Syria or Iraq to fight ISIS. Reporting on International OCD Foundation. “About OCD.” http://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ these individuals indicates that they have been moved to join Mayo Clinic. “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).” rebel groups abroad because they feel the United States is http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- doing too little. conditions/ocd/basics/definition/con-20027827

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |8 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Matt VanDyke and Nuri Funas in Ra's Lanuf, Libya. Sources Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke

American National Biography Online. “John Reed.” http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-01357.html fights. Cell phone camera in one hand, AK-47 in the other.” Collard, Rebecca. “Meet the Americans on the Front Lines in the Fight In today’s age of smart phones and social media, 1.5 billion Against ISIS.” Time, January 20, 2015. http://time.com/3674281/isis-us- more people have access to cell phones than have access to kurds-iraq/ toilets. Although self-portraits predate the Internet by a wide

History.com. “Biographies: Ernest Hemingway.” margin—the first shutters with self-timers were popularized http://www.history.co.uk/biographies/ernest-hemingway at the turn of the 20th century, and the photo booth was in- vented around 1880—new technologies, from the camera Hope, Bradley. “Road Trip! American Student Joins Rebels in Fight for Qaddafi Stronghold.” The National, September 1, 2011. phone to the selfie-stick, have transformed both how people http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/road-trip-american- represent themselves and how news is disseminated. student-joins-rebels-in-fight-for-qaddafi-stronghold Today, news updates are expected in real-time, and citizen reports on social media are often the first to surface. No Traditional Journalism, Citizen Journalism longer does the public have to wait for a major news outlet to receive, process, fact-check and release a news story. In and Documentary Filmmaking response, journalists on the ground often share what they Matt VanDyke asks in Point and Shoot, “What am I? A film- see and experience on Twitter and other social media plat- maker or a fighter?” This is a prevailing question for VanDyke forms before checking in with headquarters. As reporting throughout the film, and he is not alone in vacillating be- what one witnesses becomes more democratized among tween these identities. As he points out in Libya, the war citizens and journalists, it’s helpful to understand the defini- there “was the most filmed war in history…There were tions of traditional journalism, citizen journalism and docu- guys with cell phone cameras in the middle of gun- mentary filmmaking.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |9 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Matt edits at his home studio in Baltimore. Traditional Journalism: There are many forms of journalism, Photo courtesy of Point and Shoot including photojournalism, print journalism and broadcast journalism. There has been some debate over whether or not certain fields that utilize journalist methods—such as docu- •Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside mentary filmmaking—should be referred to as journalism, activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, but broadly speaking, according to the American Press In- or may damage credibility. stitute, journalism refers to the act of “gathering, assessing, Also sometimes called bottom up jour- creating and presenting news and information.” Citizen Journalism: nalism, grassroots journalism, open source journalism or par- Traditional journalists are expected to follow a code of ethics ticipatory journalism, citizen journalism can range from and prioritize fair, accurate reporting over speed or format- blogging about local events to tweeting pictures of natural ting. The code of ethics of the Society of Professional Jour- disasters. In an era when anyone with access to a computer nalists includes the following dictates for journalists: and the Internet can create a blog and report on what has •Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. been seen, citizen journalism is booming around the world. Verify information before releasing it. Use original While citizen journalists are not credentialed (a fact profes- sources whenever possible. sional journalists sometimes bemoan), their work can fill •Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of holes in mainstream media coverage. Some online newspa- getting information unless traditional, open methods pers have even created blogs where citizens can post their will not yield information vital to the public. stories. However, citizen journalism often does not go be- •Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose yond first-person observation (and citizens are not in a po- unavoidable conflicts. sition to verify sources in the same manner as journalists) and is therefore distinct from traditional journalism.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |10 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Documentary Filmmaking: There are many commonalities Nuri Funas at Ouagadougou Conference Center between documentary filmmakers and journalists. Both pri- in Sirte, Libya. oritize seeking and sharing the truth in ways that feature ac- Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke tual events and people rather than fictional characters, places or happenings. They all use diverse reporting/story- PBS MediaShift: Your Guide to Citizen Journalism, September 2006 telling techniques and have a responsibility to protect their http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/your-guide-to-citizen-journal- sources and present accurate information. Journalists are ism270.html bound by a code that requires them to employ a compre- hensive approach, taking into account multiple, and even POV Community Engagement & Education. “Discussion Guide: High conflicting perspectives. No such code binds documentary Tech, Low Life.” http://pov-tc.pbs.org/pov/downloads/2013/pov- filmmakers; they present truth as they see it. hightechlowlife-discussion-guide-color.pdf Silverman, Jacob. “‘Pics or it Didn’t Happen’—The Mantra of the Sources Instagram Era.” The Guardian, February 26, 2015.

American Press Institute. “What Is Journalism?” http://www.american- http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/feb/26/pics-or-it-didnt- pressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/ happen-mantra-instagram-era-facebook-twitter

BBC. “Self-Portraits and Social Media: The Rise of the ‘Selfie.’” Silvestri, Lisa Ellen. Friended at the Front: Social Media in the American http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22511650 War Zone. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2015.

Carr, David. “At Front Lines, Bearing Witness in Real Time.” New York “They shoot citizen journalists, don’t they?” Times, July 27, 2014. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/28/business/media/at-front-lines- http://www.ifla.org/publications/they-shoot-citizen-journalists-dont- bearing-witness-in-real-time.html?_r=0 they-curating-or-outsourcing-opportunities-and-thre

Das, Angelica. “Sundance: Is It Documentary or Journalism?” IndieWire, February 4, 2015. http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-is-it- documentary-or-journalism-20150204 DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |11 SELECT PEOPLE

Selected People Featured in Point and Shoot

Matt VanDyke – From Baltimore, MD Lauren Fischer – Matt’s girlfriend

Nuri – Matt’s Libyan friend Ali – The Libyan rebel who was killed in the attack where Matt was captured

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |12 GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Matt VanDyke motorcycling in Afghanistan. Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen or pose a general question (examples below) and give people some time to themselves to jot down or think about their answers before opening the discussion:

•What did you learn from this film? What new insights did it provide? •Describe a moment or scene in the film that you found particularly disturbing or moving. What was it about that scene that was especially compelling for you? •If a friend asked you what this film was about or if you were going to write a tweet summarizing the main message of the film, what would you say? •If you could ask Matt VanDyke (or his Libyan friends, his girlfriend or his mother) a single question, what would you ask? Why is that question interesting or important to you?

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |13 DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Matt VanDyke aims at sniper. Manhood Photo courtesy of Ahmed AlBatrookh Matt VanDyke describes his quest as “a crash course in man- hood.” What do you think he learned about what it means to Looking back, VanDyke says that he knows some of the risks be a “man”? If you were grading his performance in this he took were “crazy” and things he wouldn’t do now. Yet, he crash course, what grade would you give him (and why)? says, “The more I did the more I wanted to do. And the more How was VanDyke’s concept of “manhood” influenced by I survived, the farther I thought I could push it.” In your view, the fictional books he read, action/adventure films and TV is VanDyke’s risk-taking admirable? Why or why not? programs he watched and computer games he played? In After his initial motorcycle journey, and return home to Bal- your view, how well did these fictionalized portrayals serve timore, VanDyke shares his reaction to news footage of the him in real life? Arab Spring erupting: “Four years earlier I had set off on this VanDyke describes his youth as an only child, saying, “In re- crash course in manhood. And now here was the Arab ality I was sort of sheltered and spoiled growing up…I was Spring challenging my very image of what manhood was. I just the center of my family’s universe…When I graduated was nothing compared to people that were going out in the from Georgetown, I really did not know much about the real streets of Tripoli, their protests being returned with gunfire.” world. I still wanted to do something that was extraordinary. What was it about that footage that provoked him to rethink But here I was in my mid-twenties: my mother and grand- his previous view of manhood? How do you think his new mother would do my grocery shopping and do my laundry view influenced the decisions he made about what to do and bring it to me; never really paid my own bills; no job.” next? How do you think this upbringing influenced his choices Did you share VanDyke’s surprise that Nuri wasn’t interested when it came to proving his manhood? in killing Gaddafi and just wanted the dictator “to leave and

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |14 DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Matt VanDyke with Libyan Rebels. go live in his tent and just go away”? Do you think VanDyke's Photo courtesy of Nuri Funas concept of manhood influenced his to reaction to his friend's rejection of revenge? If so, how? Media Effects VanDyke’s girlfriend, Lauren Fischer, is angry at his decision VanDyke recalls reading adventure books as a child and to go suddenly to Libya to fight. Do you think his under- spending hours playing computer games with “virtual ad- standing of how to “be a man” influences the way he treats ventures. He also notes that he “was raised on action Fischer? movies.” He concludes, “Movies shaped a lot of who I was.” How different would VanDyke’s experience have been if he In what ways was VanDyke’s worldview shaped by the had been a woman? Do his adventures exemplify male priv- media he watched, read and played? In what ways did media ilege? If so, how? inspire him?

Asked if he ever killed anyone, VanDyke tells a story about What does it tell you about VanDyke that one of his favorite being ordered to shoot, but missing his target: “I didn’t miss films was Lawrence of Arabia? him on purpose, and that’s part of what’s disturbing…I had What role do you think media played in leading VanDyke to this image of who I always wanted to be. And for years I had see war as an adventure? struggled to find that in myself and to become that person. But I had just had myself filmed trying to take another VanDyke frequently compares his real-life experiences to human life. And what did that say about me?” What do you movies. For example, at Gibraltar: “It was very picturesque. think it said about him? And very, you know, just like I would have, you know, writ- ten it into a script.” Or in Libya: “We were constantly under What do you think VanDyke learned about himself fire, where the sound, it’s like pew, pew. Just like that. Just from his experiences in prison? like you would hear in a movie.” In what ways does life

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |15 DISCUSSION PROMPTS

Nuri practices with artillery. change when you use media as a touchstone to evaluate Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke your life experiences?

In Libya, VanDyke says, “We were preparing for the war and at the same time we were watching the war on television.” In the film we see American soldiers in Iraq trying to shape How has 24-hour video news coverage changed war for their images for the camera. VanDyke says, “They wanted to combatants and for their loved ones? How did it affect Fis- be filmed acting like soldiers, even though that’s what they cher to see pictures of Brega knowing that her boyfriend actually were. They wanted to define their image on cam- was there? era.” He goes on to say, “This was the most filmed war in his- Cameras tory, with cameras everywhere. There were guys with cell What is the significance of the film’s title? phone cameras in the middle of gunfights—cell phone cam- era in one hand, AK-47 in the other. And these guys—their VanDyke doesn’t simply record his adventures. He explains, concept of war is what they saw on television and movies: “I suppose I was crafting myself, using the camera to write Guys standing up with machine guns by themselves in the my own life story.” What’s the difference between the way middle of the battle and just spraying ammunition at the VanDyke uses his camera and the way a journalist would ap- enemy. They wanted their picture taken with the big gun. proach the task? How do you use cameras and social media Things that they can show their friends, the family, to women to craft your public identity? Does it matter whether or not they like to impress…Everybody wants something they can that public identity mirrors your authentic self? share on Facebook. Everybody tries to create their idealized VanDyke says, “Having a camera to film my OCD helped image of how they want to be seen and who they want to me control it.” Why do you think that was true? How be.” did the camera provide a sense of control?

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |16 DISCUSSION PROMPTS

How does the presence of a camera change reality? Why do than for videos that are categorized as news (for example, you suppose the soldiers felt the need to manipulate their scenes of a war)? images instead of letting their actual experiences speak for The Baltimore Examiner was happy to credential VanDyke themselves? What are the costs (or potential costs) to the as an embedded reporter because, as Matt recalls them say- soldiers? What are the implications of this self-conscious ing, they couldn’t they couldn’t even afford to send their re- construction of image for journalists? Who else can you porters to cover away sports games What do the financial think of who uses camera phones and social media to shape constraints of news outlets say about the health of American and project an idealized image of themselves? democracy (and about the well-informed public on which VanDyke’s footage includes graphic images of war. What are democracy depends)? the ethical issues that arise from filming violence and shar- VanDyke admits, “There were times when I was in Iraq that ing those scenes online with the general public? If you were I felt like I was on the wrong side of the camera. Not neces- a news director, what guidelines would you use in deciding sarily that I wanted to be a soldier, but I didn’t want to be just what to post or broadcast? How should a news director bal- a documentarian. I wanted to be shaping events around me ance the desire to show the realities of war against the de- and having an impact, not just watching.” Why might some sire not to exploit/sensationalize violence and suffering? journalists have a problem with this attitude? What are the In the process of “using the camera to write his own life implications for “citizen journalists” who record events in story,” VanDyke crafts an alter ego that he strives to be- which they also participate? During the Arab Spring most of come: the footage of protests that was shown on television was I felt I had sort of grown out of Matthew VanDyke. I shot by activists who were trying to “shape events.” What was over there without my family. I was on my own are the similarities and differences between this and what and doing things that Matthew VanDyke would never VanDyke was doing? have been able to do. So I felt it warranted a new In places like Libya, foreign journalists were banned, so most name. My name is Max Hunter. I’m 29 years old, and I’m images of the rebellion came from Libyans who used cell driving to Afghanistan…Max Hunter was a swaggering phone cameras to record events and then found ways to egotistical, ridiculously fearless, reckless guy that share them illegally via underground social media. How does wanted to show off and get famous and these sorts of things. Very much informed by films and Hollywood. the ability to record and disseminate images of events illic- And at the beginning I was struggling to project that itly challenge government power? What are the limitations on camera. But, you know, over time I think I sort of of such publicity in terms of bringing about social or politi- grew into the “me” on camera. cal change? Why would VanDyke want to construct an identity as a TV In prison, VanDyke posed beneath his cell’s skylight because or movie character? Is it common for people to “grow into” he “thought America had satellites that would see down the images that they create for themselves/the roles that through the skylight and see me, and I would sit up there they project? Does this need affect the reliability of and sometimes I’d make looks on my face of real terror, you VanDyke’s “selfies” or his footage of the conflicts he covers? know, try to make it look like I am not doing well. So these VanDyke explains, “It’s very, very difficult to shoot a motor- guys would know looking down [from] the satellite, ‘Man, cycle film by yourself. Sometimes I would drive up a moun- that American looks like he’s really in rough shape. We’ve tain, set up the camera on a tripod and then drive back down got to get him out.’” How have digital technologies and cam- the mountain filming myself driving. The whole process eras contributed to the sense that someone is always watch- would take 30 minutes, an hour for one shot I probably ing? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the acceptance wouldn’t even use.” Does this mean his film is staged or of constant surveillance? somehow less than real, or is that simply what’s necessary to Though VanDyke is ambivalent, Nuri encourages him to keep capture the essence of the events on video? Is this ethical filming: “We need to have some video about how these guys for a documentary? What about for a “reality” TV show? Do [are] fighting…This is history, man. And a favor for the fam- we/should we have different standards for supposedly ilies [of soldiers].” Do you think Nuri understood something nonfiction videos that are essentially entertainment (for that VanDyke did not? If so, what? example a reality TV show on redecorating a house)

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |17 DISCUSSION PROMPTS

VanDyke speculates that his captors never interrogated him As a foreigner, how would you distinguish between support because, “they had enough on the video camera, they didn’t and interference? When do ethics require us to get involved need to ask me any questions. It was all there…I was really in foreign conflicts, and when do they require us to stay out? worried that Gaddafi had sent people after Nuri and his fam- VanDyke tells his girlfriend, “This is the most important thing ily because of my video footage.” If you knew that video you I’ll ever do in my life—helping in this war.” Given all the recorded might endanger your friends, would you still record causes in the world, why do you think VanDyke sees this par- it? How would you assess whether or not the risk was worth ticular battle as being so important? What causes or battles the return? do you see as important? If you had to predict, what do you think the most important thing you will ever do in your life Conflict will be (or what’s the most important thing you have done)? Are there causes for which you would risk your life? How What did you learn about armed conflict from VanDyke’s does what you named compare to or contrast with what footage? How did it compare to what you have learned from VanDyke thought of as his most important contribution? mainstream news reports? What do you think VanDyke Do you imagine that VanDyke would have become a fighter learned about war? in Libya had he not happened to find a group of friends VanDyke mentions that he “went to Georgetown University there? and earned a master’s degree with a Middle East concentra- Had you seen VanDyke’s footage in 2011, would you have tion. But it was all just academic and intellectual. I had never supported arming the Libyan rebels? Why or why not? actually even been to the Arab world.” What stereotypes or misconceptions does he have of the region because his stud- At one point, we see VanDyke eat out of a shared bowl, ies never required him to spend time outside the United something that his OCD would have prevented at home. He States? explains, “Given that I had just been through prison and was in a war, putting my mouth on a bowl didn’t seem like such VanDyke says that Nuri, a hippie of sorts, “was a very cool a big deal anymore.” Why do you think he is able to cope Libyan to meet for the first time because this wasn’t my im- with his OCD better during his “adventures” than he had pression of Libyans.” What are the possible sources of been at home? VanDyke’s impressions of Libyans, and why didn’t they in- clude people like Nuri? After prison, VanDyke’s Libyan friends welcome him back. His imprisonment even adds to his “street cred” with them. VanDyke, a self-described loner in high school, says, “The What is the power of feeling like you belong to something friends I made in Libya were better friends to me than al- and you are valued? most all my friends in America…It just felt like I had sort of ar- rived home in a way. And the good friendships that I made VanDyke observes, “The problem with adrenaline is that really made me fall in love with Libya.” How might VanDyke’s every time you reach a new level you need more. You know, connection with these particular men have been influenced adventure’s a little bit like a drug. And you build a tolerance by his particular personality, gender, culture, nationality or to it, and then you have to take it to the next level.” What race? VanDyke chooses to fight in Libya because of his at- are the implications of that adrenaline “addiction” for sol- tachments to these friends. What are the limitations of mak- diers? ing decisions about an entire nation (or that nation’s conflicts) from the experiences of one small group of peo- ple?

The United States and other developed nations have some- times been accused of interference and imposing Western Additional media literacy questions are available at: values on non-Western cultures. How do VanDyke’s actions www.pbs.org/pov/educators/media-literacy.php differ from this characterization of American interference?

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |18 Nuri at the Mediterranean Sea. Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke Taking Action

•Convene an event for teens (especially teens targeted by military recruiters) to talk about the myths and facts contained in movie (or other media) portrayals of armed conflict. Discuss the effects of these portrayals on individual decisions to become soldiers and on political decisions to go to war.

•Invite journalists and non-journalists to engage in a series of conversations about the ways in which cell phone cameras becoming ubiquitous and the opportunity to share images via social media have challenged and changed news reporting; the ethics of covering violent events, showing graphic images and embedding with soldiers during war; and the distinctions between being a professional journalist, a citizen journalist and simply a person on the street taking pictures with a cell phone.

•Study recent events in Libya and communicate to your elected representatives the positions or actions you think the United States should take.

•VanDyke talks about using the camera to write his life story. Use multimedia tools to create your own autobiographical piece. What are the major themes, and what do you learn about yourself from thinking about that question?

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |19 RESOURCES

FILM-RELATED WEB SITES Also see: facebook.com/pointandshootfilm FILMMAKER WEBSITE twitter.com/pointshootfilm www.PointAndShootFilm.com www.marshallcurry.com The official film website offers more information www.matthewvandyke.com about the film and filmmakers.

Original Online Content on POV To further enhance the broadcast, POV has produced an interactive website to enable viewers to explore the film in greater depth. The Point and Shoot website—www.pbs.org/pov/pointandshoot—offers a streaming video trailer for the film; an interview with Marshall Curry; a list of related websites, articles and books; a downloadable discussion guide; a standards-aligned lesson plan with streaming clips; a downloadable lesson plan; and special features.

Libya’s Revolution U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: U.S. RELATIONS WITH LIBYA THE GUARDIAN: www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5425.htm “WAR IN LIBYA—THE GUARDIAN BRIEFING” This overview of U.S. relations with Libya includes a set of www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/29/ links to U.S. government information about Libya. -sp-briefing-war-in-libya This overview covers events in Libya since the 2011 revolution. Journalism in the Digital Age

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: LIBYA PEW RESEARCH CENTER http://countrystudies.us/libya/ www.journalism.org The Library of Congress offers an overview of Libya’s Search for “publications” or “war” for relevant articles. modern history and the rise of Muammar Gaddafi. POV: WAR FEELS LIKE WAR LIBYA NEWS AGENCY www.pbs.org/pov/warfeelslikewar www.lana-news.ly/eng The website for this POV film includes an excerpt from The state-run news agency for Libya provides reporting “The Myth of War,” an important piece by Chris Hedges on on this website, also available in Arabic and French. the appeal of war to young men like Matt VanDyke, as well as links related to the ethics of embedded war reporting. THE NEW YORK TIMES: “MAP OF THE REBELLION IN LIBYA, DAY BY DAY” POYNTER INSTITUTE www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/25/world/middl www.poynter.org/uncategorized/80445/online- eeast/map-of-how-the-protests-unfolded-in- journalism-ethics-guidelines-from-the-conference libya.html?ref=africa The Poynter Institute supplies ethics for journalists using This day-by-day map of the 2011 rebellion in Libya digital and online media. includes links to corresponding news reports.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |20 RESOURCES

Media Effects and the Construction of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Online Identities ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ASSOCIATION DANAH BOYD APOPHENIA OF AMERICA www.zephoria.org/thoughts http://www.adaa.org One of the leading thinkers in the United States about the This group disseminates information about anxiety and impact of social and digital media, especially on teens, depression. publishes essays on this blog. INTERNATIONAL OCD FOUNDATION THE GOOD PROJECT: DIGITAL MEDIA http://iocdf.org http://www.thegoodproject.org/publications/research- This organization raises awareness about OCD and related papers/#Digital%20Media/Good%20Play/DM2 disorders. This series of papers covers the influence of new media on identity formation, including the preliminary research for NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml Intimacy and Imagination in a Digital World, a book on the This organization aims to transform the understanding and subject by Howard Gardner and Katie Davis. treatment of mental health.

LSE RESEARCH ONLINE: “ON THE RELATION BETWEEN AUDIENCES AND PUBLICS” http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/437/1/__libfile_REPOSITORY_Co ntent_Livingstone%2C%20S_On%20the%20relation%20 between%20audiences_Livingstone_Relation_between_ audiences_2012.pdf A book chapter from leading British communications scholar Sonia Livingstone looks at media impact.

FILMSITE: WAR AND ANTI-WAR FILMS www.filmsite.org/warfilms.html This page provides a general introduction to the ways that war has been treated in popular films.

DISCUSSION GUIDE Point and Shoot |21 HOW TO BUY THE FILM

For information on how to purchase Point and Shoot, visit http://pointandshootfilm.com

Produced by American Documentary, Inc., POV Community Engagement and Education POV is public television’s premier showcase POV's Community Engagement and Education team works with for nonfiction films. The series airs Mondays at educators, community organizations and PBS stations to pres- 10 p.m. on PBS from June to September, with primetime specials ent more than 650 free screenings every year. In addition, we during the year. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the distribute free discussion guides and standards-aligned lesson world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing plans for each of our films. With our community partners, we in- personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. Always spire dialogue around the most important social issues of our an innovator, POV discovers fresh new voices and creates inter- time. active experiences that shine a light on social issues and elevate the art of storytelling. With our documentary broadcasts, original American Documentary, Inc. www.amdoc.org online programming and dynamic community engagement cam- American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company paigns, we are committed to supporting films that capture the dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary imagination and present diverse perspectives. stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in POV films have won 32 Emmy® Awards, 18 George Foster mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public cul- Peabody Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, ture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities three Academy Awards®, the first-ever George Polk Documen- around socially relevant content on television, online and in com- tary Film Award and the Prix Italia. The POV series has been munity settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, honored with a Special News & Documentary Emmy Award for from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking, two IDA community participation. Awards for Best Continuing Series and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) Award for Corporate Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Commitment to Diversity. More information is available at Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. www.pbs.org/pov. Knight Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and POV Digital www.pbs.org/pov National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding comes from Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, Since 1994, POV Digital has driven new storytelling initiatives The Fledgling Fund, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Ettinger and interactive production for POV. The department created Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City PBS's first program website and its first web-based documen- Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Coun- tary (POV's Borders) and has won major awards, including a cil, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee, and public television Webby Award (and six nominations) and an Online News Asso- viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television ciation Award. POV Digital continues to explore the future of in- stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and dependent nonfiction media through its digital productions and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG. the POV Hackathon lab, where media makers and technologists collaborate to reinvent storytelling forms. @povdocs on Twitter.

You can follow us on Twitter @POVengage Front cover: Selfie of Matt, camels in background. for the latest news from Photo courtesy of Matt VanDyke POV Community Engagement & Education.

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