Town Cape FAIRNESS IN SUBJECTIVEof DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING Johann Abrahams Ever since filmmakers started making non- fiction Univeristyfilms, they have been plagued by the question of objectivity. Is the content truthful, is it accurate, and is it fair in dealing with opposing views? Today modern television consumers have become sophisticated and media savvy. They know that with any documentary, a number of editorial and creative decisions are being made often by a number of Johann Abrahams people working in a team. The question is how a film Buitenhof, 103 can still be truthful and fair for viewers despite a Buitengracht Street, clear bias on the part of the filmmaker. This essay is Tamboerskloof, Cape about journalistic ethics, bias but fairness, and an Town. analysis of my own personal film, ‘Coming Home’, 082 416 3759 weighed against the opinions by various film theorists. 10/31/2014 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by the University of Cape Town will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. ………………………… Johann Abrahams Date: 31 October 2014 Copyright © 2014 University of Cape Town All rights reserved Town Cape of Univeristy 2 Fairness in subjective documentary storytelling. A Reflective Essay supporting the Documentary Film 'Coming Home’ By Johann Abrahams ABRJOH008 A minor dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of MASTERS IN MEDIA THEORY AND PRACTICE Supervisor: Dr Liani Maasdorp Centre for Film and Media Studies Faculty of the Humanities University of Cape Town 2014 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract..............................................................................................5 1. Introduction………………………................................................................6 2. Historical background….....................................................................10 3. Maintaining fairness despite bias……………………………………................14 4. Designing the film ‘Coming Home’....................................................21 5. The Documentary film Production: ‘Coming Home’..........................27 6. Conclusion.......................................................................................34 Bibliography....................................................................................36 Filmography....................................................................................38 4 ABSTRACT Ever since filmmakers started making non- fiction films, they have been plagued by the question of objectivity. Is it true, is it accurate, and is it fair? Today television consumers have become sophisticated and media savvy. They know that with any documentary, a number of editorial and creative decisions are being made often by a number of people working in a team. The question in this study is how a film can still be truthful, fair and relevant for viewers despite a clear bias on the part of the filmmaker. Michael Rabiger, Stella Bruzzi, and Sheila Bernard gave great insight into the importance of fairness toward participants, while the P.O.V series aired on PBS in the US show how to make films from a particular point of view to stimulate debate. Based on this I will argue that it is possible for a filmmaker to hold a particular view and to still make a film that is fair and accurate. 5 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Ever since filmmakers started making non- fiction films, they have been plagued by the question of objectivity. Is it true, is it accurate, and is it fair? Documentaries work with fact not fiction and therefore filmmakers cannot invent plots, character and story arcs. Instead the filmmaker must be creative in the arrangement of the material without compromising journalistic integrity. (Bernard, 2007, p.2). But creativity knows no boundaries and in order for a film to be entertaining, or gripping, filmmakers do tend to bend the truth, or change the order of events. (Bowling for Columbine,2002). Rabiger, in an article published online in the Nieman Report 2001, says non-fiction films are more often perceived to be true and objective. He ascribes this to the perceptions that were established during the heyday of television news when stalwarts like Walter Cronkite personified objectivity, truth and fairness in television journalism. (Rabiger, 2001, para 1). Documentary also seemed impartial because an inanimate instrument like a movie camera, taking “truth 24 times a second,” seemed incapable of deception. Film (including video) is always in the present tense, while print journalism tends to reside in the reflective past tense. (Rabiger, 2001, para 1). Today audiences have become sophisticated and media savvy. They know through the long line of credits at the end of the film that a number of editorial and creative decisions are being made, and usually by a number of people working in a team. As filmmakers we know that before the camera even starts rolling decisions are being made as to how the story will be told. A hypotheses is developed, research done and a site visit undertaken to find sources, compelling characters and experts. Who appears in the film eventually and who is left out is a decision taken sometimes months before filming. (Snyman, 2007). During the shoot more decisions are made, including about the lens used, camera placement. A high angle on an interviewee, for example, can make her look 6 insignificant, on lighting - strong fall-off with deep shadows can make an interviewee look ominous and less truthful. In contemporary journalism and non-fiction films new forms are emerging. More and more filmmakers like Michael Moore, Nick Broomfield and Louis Theroux connect with viewers on a subjective level. Although Moore’s films raise suspicions as to their truthfulness, they still have relevance and his overtly subjective approach has become his trademark. There are also films, such as PBS’ P.O.V series, that explicitly declare that they are not objective, but claim to be fair while putting forward the filmmakers’ point of view. (Mertes, 2001). RESEARCH QUESTION This research is about objectivity and fairness, and an analysis of my own personal film, Coming Home, weighed against the opinions by various film theorists. My question is what are the strategies a filmmaker can use to ensure fairness is maintained in a documentary that he/she is subjectively involved in? The film Coming Home, about Genadendal’s land transformation process, is written and directed by me. I am also telling the story and often appear in the film. I recently built a house in Genadendal and I consider it my spiritual home. Both my paternal and maternal ancestors are from the old mission station. My uncle serves on the transformation committee and I share the view of the majority of Genadendal residents that the whole village is communal land and should be governed by the residents themselves. This is in conflict with the views and actions of the Theewaterskloof district municipality. I therefore have a clear bias and the film is made from my point of view. I am also an advocate for the aboriginal rights of the Khoisan. Most of the residents of Genadendal are direct Khoikhoi descendants giving them UN recognised aboriginal rights to the land although this is often ignored in South Africa in general and in the case of Genadendal in particular. (United Nations, 2007, p.10). The question is how the film can still be truthful despite the clear bias of the storyteller. In this essay I will argue that it is possible for a filmmaker to hold a particular 7 view and to still tell a truthful and balanced story. In this study, I therefore aim to question conventional notions of objective distance by demonstrating how I remained fair in the face of my own bias while producing a film about a community I’m closely related to. In order to do this, I provide some historical background, a literature review and analysis of existing films and insight into my own production process. In the chapter that follows, chapter two, I paint a picture of my family history and my connection to Genadendal. It is a nostalgic look at a village where I spent my high school years and now it is my partial home and where I hope to retire one day. I also sketch the history of Genadendal, with references to the rich cultural heritage and artefacts found in the local museum. This is very important because the argument to preserve the town is based on its being a national treasure and actually should be declared a national heritage site. In the third chapter I examine the ideas of various theorists in order to establish a theoretical framework for my film. I also explore the work of other filmmakers. In the fourth chapter I outline my professional career as a reference to my style of filmmaking. I explain how I designed the film style, and how I applied the different theories. It also contains a short synopsis of the film with production notes and personal notes from me as director of the film. Finally, it looks at the relevance of the film to ordinary audiences. It also clearly spells out the point of view of the film and its aims. The methodology used was a review of literature on the topic of subjectivity and bias in filmmaking. I also analysed a selection of documentary films in order to explore the position of the filmmaker towards his/her subject matter and how this relates to perceived expectations of objectivity in a contemporary context where there seems to be a greater general awareness of subjectivity.