Documentary Film
EXAMPLE #1
The Hunting Ground is a documentary, released on February 27 2015 and created by Kirby Dick, that follows undergraduate rape survivors as they attempt to continue their education and seek justice. With one in four women in college sexually assaulted, college rape is an epidemic. But despite the number of sexual assaults reported to colleges, very few result in suspensions or disciplinary action of any kind due to college administrators ignoring the claim, or requiring the victim to undergo endless bureaucratic processes to get a trial – this is especially true if the perpetrator is on an athletic team. If the case actually goes to trial and a student is found guilty of sexual assault, their punishment is often minor – a $25 fine, a paper explaining why they are sorry or a one-day suspension, for example. In an inspired legal move, sexual assault survivors Andrea Pino and Annie Clark decided to use the Title IX defense to hold colleges responsible for taking sexual assault claims seriously, which essentially states mishandling sexual assault cases deprives students of equal and free access to education. Because of their efforts and through a sustained campaign of student activists – through written word, protests, attending school board meetings and meeting with senators - survivors around the country filed Title IX complaints against their institutions, putting hundreds of colleges under federal investigation for ignoring sexual assault claims and depriving students of a fair education.
The film shakes the viewer to their very core. It makes the viewer feel simultaneously angry at the hundreds of administrators and sports coaches who looked the other way, heartbroken at the victims’ testimony, and inspired to rise up with student activists and communicate to the rest of the country the problem at hand. The film opens with overjoyed students opening their college admission letters and moving onto campus. And just like that, the dream is shattered as the same students account their sexual assaults, most of them within the first few weeks of school. The film interviews students about their attack, as well as professors, deans and experts in the field about statistics, and intersperses both with footage of the school to make the viewer see how easily this could occur anywhere. In one of the most shocking testimonies, one student attempted to report her assault to an administrator who told her “rape is like a football game… looking back, what would you have done differently?”, and then discouraged her from going to the police. In another case, Harvard Law found a student guilty of sexual assault but voted to keep him as a student, and conducted this vote without notifying the victim. The film stands out due to its unapologetic reporting of the facts, using real names and faces, and showing just how prevalent college rape is.
An outstanding quality of the film was that despite the horror, the statistics, the taunts from classmates and the dead-end bureaucracy facing survivors – the viewer couldn’t help but feel inspired at the end. Andrea and Annie became experts in Title IX law in order to set the precedent that any school that refuses to expel a student found guilty for sexual assault is in violation of federal law. They traveled the country to tell their story and to help other students file Title IX complaints with their own school, without the help of lawyers. They relived the trauma of other victims because they knew what it was like to be alone in this situation. A striking visual that helped the viewer feel hope was footage of student rallies at various institutions, as well as students helping a Columbia student rape survivor carry her mattress around campus in the “Carry the Weight” movement. This film is undoubtedly significant in its ability to convey despair, pressing urgency, helplessness, and hope to its audience. An educational tool with an emotional story, this film will surely be remembered as an important documentary that help bring to light a terrible epidemic.
EXAMPLE #2
Amy (2015), a documentary directed by Asif Kapadia, intimately explores the life of the famous jazz singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse in her own voice. Through use of testimonials, live performances, and still photographs, this documentary paints Amy in a different light compared to the demonizing reports of mass media at the time. The film progresses from her adolescent struggles as a child of divorced parents to her sprouting successes as a British jazz singer to the suffocating consequences of becoming an international celebrity. The raw connection that she shared with music was unlike any other; “such an emotional relationship to music. It's like she needed music, as if it was a person, and that she would die for it,” spoken by her close friend Nick Gatfield. Her friendships and relationships offer insight as to why her life spiraled towards alcohol and drugs. Asif Kapadia’s skillful balance of still images, informal video, and live performances contribute to the film’s brilliance and capture the spirit of Amy Winehouse.
The camera-phone footage that Amy and her friends recorded as young adults show their everyday activities. Through this medium, the audience develops a holistic perception of this genuine, raw, passionate, and talented woman. Her enthusiasm for jazz earlier in the film – before she escaped to drugs – is evident in the way she strums her guitar and sings into the recording studio’s microphone. There is an evident shift in the film’s dynamic when Amy begins to slip into the grasp of drugs; the more flashing paparazzi cameras, the more heavily she relied on escaping the nightmare of reality. The audience empathizes with her battle between pursuing a career in the only thing she is devoted to – jazz – or her mental health. Incorporating live performances of Amy with the lyrics on screen and a preface of her lyrical inspiration allows the audience to appreciate how personal her songs are.
Watching the documentary Amy will stir heartache in anyone who actively listens to the silent cries of a girl who just wanted to pursue her fiery passion but ended up getting burned. The cruel clips included in the film from shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno perpetuated her depression, alcoholism, and bulimia. Mass media was ruthless. They cared only about ratings and saw her vulnerability as a prime opportunity for comedy and exploitation. There is reasoning behind everyone’s actions. For Amy, her toxic ex-husband, Blake Fielder, combined with the pressure of fame and refusal for rehab contributed to her self-destruction. Regardless, she was still a human being who deserved respect. Perhaps if the TV hosts and fans showed compassion towards her plights and not been bystanders, she would not have perished at their feet.
EXAMPLE#3
One of the more horrifying yet truly fascinating stories in recent memory has finally been portrayed in Taylor Brodsky’s 2016 documentary “Beware The Slenderman.” This film tells the story of two girls, who at the age of 12 attempted to murder on of their closest friends in order to appease The Slenderman, a fictional online horror creation. Viewers are brought through the entirety of the young girls planning and attempt, all the way up to the day the decision is made to try them as either children or adults in court. The film explores not only the minds and motives of the two young girls, but it also brings the viewer into the lives of the parents who were all traumatically affected by this bizarre act. The true lure for this film is seen in how it provides viewers with untouched evidence from the event as well as some insight on how untreated mental illness and bullying can turn into a destructive force.
In 2014, two young girls lured their close friend out into the woods and stabbed her 19 times, for the soul purpose of making the fictional monster Slenderman happy. Miraculously, the victim was able to craw to the nearest highway and flag down help, surviving the horrific attack. There is no easy way to explain why these girls would do what they did, but Brodsky is able to pull viewers into the depths of their issues which stem from undiagnosed mental disorders as well as bullying and loneliness. Some of the most compelling scenes derive from the never before seen footage from within the holding areas of the two girls after they are arrested for the assault. The discussions with their lawyers, parents, and psych evaluators pull the viewer into the depths of their motives and show glimpses of the dark issues manifesting within. While this footage may prove to be the most interesting, it is the one on one interview with the parents at their homes that are the most powerful. In one of the more emotionally tearing scenes, a father of one of the two girls speaks on how he has the same disorder his daughter is subsequently diagnosed with: schizophrenia. This illustrates how it is not schizophrenia itself, but rather untreated schizophrenia that can be dangerous.
All in all, the films pacing is excellent. Brodsky does a fantastic job creating an internal divide for the viewer, constantly swaying back and forth on if one should feel sympathy or disdain for these young girls. Not only this, but it is impossible to not try and decipher which of the two girls is more to blame. While initially the viewer may not feel this is something that matters, Brodsky finds a way to force these thoughts and feelings upon you. Any viewer of this film will come away with a stronger understanding of the powers of bullying, untreated mental disorders, and the effects they can have on young minds.
