Lozios talks about the difficulties in making documentaries which includes the camera's position and the point of view. The point of view being shown has a strong effect on the film. For example, when we view N!ai, the story of a !Kung Woman, in many shots, the camera is positioned to see the woman from the viewer's point of view. Even though we this point of view, like any point of view does not depict the whole story, it does create a an intimate relationship between the woman and the viewer. This makes her story more real and appealing.
Lozios includes the films of the Yanomami by Chagnon which he broke with tradition and filmed their practice of raiding. It allowed the viewer to feel that he/she was viewing the actual events as they unfolded which was thought provoking and emotionally compelling. This can be compared to today's reality TV. Reality TV allows the viewer to watch events as they unfold which are more emotionally compelling than thought provoking.
The curious case of censorship reminds me of the lawsuit around the documentary Crude: The Real Price of Oil. The film documents the legal battle between indigenous Ecuadorians and Chevron over oil pollution. A federal court ordered that the filmmaker, Joe Berlinger, release his raw footage to Chevron so they could stop the lawsuit. Berlinger argues that there is an expectation that the raw footage is not going to be released but edited to be honest and accurate. Will this court order change the way documentary filmmakers make films?
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