Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice
In recent years, human rights film festivals have proliferated across the globe. Often co-sponsored by human rights organizations like Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. While human rights documentaries are not a widely identified subgenre of nonfiction film, they can be situated within a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Danish |
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Aalborg University Open Publishing
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Akademisk Kvarter |
| Online Access: | https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/ak/article/view/2868 |
| _version_ | 1797229256712912896 |
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| author | Ari Gandsman |
| author_facet | Ari Gandsman |
| author_sort | Ari Gandsman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In recent years, human rights film festivals have proliferated across the globe. Often co-sponsored by human rights organizations like Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. While human rights documentaries are not a widely identified subgenre of nonfiction film, they can be situated within a wider tradition of non-fiction filmmaking that engages in social and political issues, motivated by the underlying premise that films can effect change. Human rights documentary are often auto-denominations based on filmmaker intent, political engage¬ment, or topical focus. Although human rights documentaries should be disquieting, their aesthetic form ends up conforming to what will be shown in the article to be a problematic aesthetic and narrative template at odds with their aims. This article will offer a critique of this dominant representational style through an analysis of China Blue, directed by Micha Peled. China Blue will then be contrasted with Last Train Home, a 2009 film on the same topic, which adopts a representational style that contrasts sharply with China Blue.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:09:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-870fbd28545e4beba11a2495d733d79a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1904-0008 |
| language | Danish |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:09:42Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Aalborg University Open Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Akademisk Kvarter |
| spelling | doaj.art-870fbd28545e4beba11a2495d733d79a2024-04-02T11:34:07ZdanAalborg University Open PublishingAkademisk Kvarter1904-00082012-12-01510.5278/ojs.academicquarter.v0i5.2868Human Rights Documentaries as Representational PracticeAri Gandsman In recent years, human rights film festivals have proliferated across the globe. Often co-sponsored by human rights organizations like Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch. While human rights documentaries are not a widely identified subgenre of nonfiction film, they can be situated within a wider tradition of non-fiction filmmaking that engages in social and political issues, motivated by the underlying premise that films can effect change. Human rights documentary are often auto-denominations based on filmmaker intent, political engage¬ment, or topical focus. Although human rights documentaries should be disquieting, their aesthetic form ends up conforming to what will be shown in the article to be a problematic aesthetic and narrative template at odds with their aims. This article will offer a critique of this dominant representational style through an analysis of China Blue, directed by Micha Peled. China Blue will then be contrasted with Last Train Home, a 2009 film on the same topic, which adopts a representational style that contrasts sharply with China Blue. https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/ak/article/view/2868 |
| spellingShingle | Ari Gandsman Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice Akademisk Kvarter |
| title | Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice |
| title_full | Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice |
| title_fullStr | Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice |
| title_short | Human Rights Documentaries as Representational Practice |
| title_sort | human rights documentaries as representational practice |
| url | https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/ak/article/view/2868 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arigandsman humanrightsdocumentariesasrepresentationalpractice |