Documentary Research

In this weeks seminar, we watched numerous short documentaries on a wide range of topics. We discussed the realism of what we were watching and how the viewer can be manipulated through the editing of certain shots and other post production techniques (soundtrack, subtitles and voice over). This got me thinking about documentaries I had previously watched and which ones attempted to give the most real image possible of the content being shown.
I selected a series of small documentaries commissioned by a magazine company VICE who also produce various documentaries and upload them to YouTube with the help of freelance film makers. This specific series is called 'Ground Zero: Syria' and shows what is described as"Ground Zero Syria is a series where we've compiled photojournalist and videographer Robert King's footage into a series of raw, largely unedited vignettes that present a snapshot of the ancient city as it crumbles and burns while its citizens are killed indiscriminately."
It is a 6 part series and shows absolutely appalling and disturbing images of what is happening on the streets of Syria and due to the 'largely unedited' footage in the documentary, it should be a very real representation of what is actually happening. However there are still a few manipulative traits as only one perspective is given which means as the audience you have only one party to side with, however, contextually this is very logical.

WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC IMAGES

This is the first part of the series and shows Dr. Qasim in a hospital treating patients that are being brought in all the time.The main themes shown throughout this film are that of injury, pain, suffering, death, helplessness e.c.t and they are all very clear through the subject matter. It contains interviews with him both pre organised and shot with the action going on which gives good variety and there is a massive range of shots, most are hand held and un-composed (set up) and just film the subject matter as it is happening. This is very effective in giving a real perspective on the action and it also is made more shocking as the shaky hand held shots give an uncomfortable point of view to the audience.

I think this documentary is very powerful and shocking in a good way as it gives a realistic and an un-tampered view on the subject matter. However it does lack the documentary convention of a back story/background information and a detailed explanation of what the documentary is specifically about, but this is due to the short length of the film and that the images can just speak for themselves due to the raw and brutal nature of the shots.