At this weeks lecture, the first slide read Documentary is most creditable when it comes as close as possible to the experience of someone actually there. This is a bit more than just explaining the distress the subjects are going through. Their addiction affected them not only when they were drunk, but physically as well as mentally, when they were sober too. This for me over steps the boundaries of ethical filming. For someone to say that Watson exploited the people in the film is to say that he harmed them in some way, which I dont think he did. I want to quickly point out that, I didnt like the parts in the film where he became the self-reflexive type and centered the documentary on his own emotional state. It becomes less objective, and much more personal between him and Vanda. This is followed by a sequence of Claire crying at his funeral and shots of the casket. This scene is perhaps one of the more uncomfortable in the film as Watson is merely documenting Vandas relapse back to alcohol and the range of mood swings she encounters. So I didnt think that he has exploited his subject at all as this is what we as viewers needed to see. I think that the mutual awareness of the situation between subject and filmmaker, despite the subjects inebriation, helps to prove that it is not exploitative. But I dont appreciate so much. It would have shown their time off-screen, sitting in a dressing room, preparing themselves to go on-camera, also chatting and gossiping, then being lined up by the assistant director and going through the magic momentthe transformation into character. He later also mentions that one woman, who had been born in a concentration camp, had a complete breakdown while doing that scene.. Therefore, i dont feel uncomfortable for his attempts within the film. This is distressing viewing, so bear that in mind if you plan to watch it but I thought it was also great reminder to keep on doing what i'm doing and staying off the booze. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks viewing, I felt that it was very informative and educational to those who dont have much knowledge about alcoholism. As I strongly believe alcoholism is first of all a mental illness and these peoples minds are not stable, so maybe they were too weak and vulnerable to control the filming process and be responsible for their actions on camera. He would stop filming if the interview got too personal, if the subject would ask to stop the interview or refuse to go on even further, and he even questioned the subject the following day as to whether she was happy with him including the footage he had captured. However, there is a clear relationship change when we see Watson come to Vandas house for the first time and through his camera both Watson and we, as the audience spectate that she is noticeably drunk and has brought herself another bottle of vodka. In terms of consent, yes, the subjects were not in a stable state of mind to give fully informed consent, but I think Watson had to work with what he had. Surely, this would mean that his documentary would attract more viewings but at least that would mean that more and more people would learn and be warned about the effects of alcoholism. It affected me emotionally and made me understand what an alcoholics reasons might be for drinking, and sometimes it might not just be that they want a drink. Once she confesses her heartbreaking childhood, Watson mentions that he will check with her tomorrow to see whether she still wants it to be put in [the final cut of the documentary]. I felt as if Watson was genuine in the fact that he did care, he wanted to see the subjects overcome their problems, in a scene where he is at Vandas house, he stands with her and says although he cant stop Vanda from drinking, he doesnt want to see her do it. It follows 4 alcoholics from the hospital to their homes. The Facebook link I posted was created by Nigels son. A good example of his moral doubts is when he asks himself Am I an ambulance chaser? and is a clear way of showing how documentary makers may react with barely contained glee when they get material of extreme situation that can make good TV In one scene we hear Watson as whether or not the information he is receiving from one of the subjects would be appropriate to include in the finished product. Thats exactly what I think about the film: it is extreme and crude in some scenes but this cannot be translated as exploitation but as accurate and careful explanation and evidence of a serious phenomenon such as alcoholism. If Watson couldnt do that, it wouldve been a pointless project. However, what I think strongly outweighs this are the positive effects of the film in terms of education. He made it clear through out the film that he was never sure whether he should be filming his subjects or whether he should, at some points, be turning the camera off. It may be their escape from their issues, and what I think is also important to keep in mind is that if they are using alcohol for this reason, then it could have easily been any other drug. Documentary which follows four alcohol abusers - Vanda, aged 43; Mark, 29; Nigel, 49 and Toni, 26 - from the impoverished Medway towns of north Kent. Overall, I believe Watson does not exploit his subjects because they knew roughly what they were getting themselves into and because Watson simply observed with the camera the tragic events of the subjects that would gain the empathy of the audience towards the effect of alcoholism. - My Last Drunk Home About Us Alcohol Abuse Affects Your Health Alcohol Abuse Affects Others My Last Drunk Alcohol Abuse Rain in my Heart (Full). The card is easy to customize with your wording, font, font color, paper shape options and choice of six paper types. Watson himself, also repeats that whilst he is filming them he will not intervene; it is his job purely to observe. This is getting a lot more personal. The consent was given while the participants were fully aware of what they were agreeing to, which makes it difficult to accuse Paul Watson of having really exploited his subjects. Ive never seen alcoholism go to this extent. Filmed in 2006 the film. In addition, how is one to really define what constitutes as being exploitative? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661761/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjy8Z1hK2wY, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/taking-it-off-for-the-holocaust, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LuFOX0Sy_o. Trevor Beckett 791 subscribers Share 522K views 9 years ago Brilliant, unflinching documentary on alcoholism by Kent film maker Paul Watson. Boozenight is on Thursday, 13 December, at 10.30pm on BBC TWO. (2006). I felt it did a fantastic job in warning people of the dangers of alcohol and addiction. Outside, the sparrows on the roof Are chirping in the dripping rain. As an audience member I am conflicted as to how satisfied I am with how Watson deals with accusations about him exploiting the audience. This was mostly due to the fact that obviously he was filming people with huge vulnerability in their lives, therefore he was careful not to portray the situation as taking advantage of. Finally, the article posted below discusses Rain in my Heart alongside other documentaries of Paul Watson. However, although Watson reveals his inner moral debates, it does not stop him using his observational and interview style to get footage and shots that exploit the subjects. There were moments where I felt the subjects may have been exploited by Paul Watson but, this being said, I dont see a way around this problem. It brought more power to the issues of alcohol and their lasting effects on the psyche. I would not have the heavens fair, The most obvious example is the scene where Vanda (being drunk) tells Paul about the monsters in her head, even though she did not want to talk about that when she was sober. Overall were the subjects happy to be on film? family and friends. If she was lying she wouldnt tell him would she? I immediately recognised the castle in the establishing shot in the opening sequence and was taken aback that this documentary was made literally where I have grown up and gone to school. That we cant see others be in such a position because we wouldnt want ourselves to be shown in such a state. The problem suddenly doesnt become the alcohol, but their mental state, which is something I learnt from the film. Tonis most exploitative scene, as I believe, is when she is shown unconscious a few days before her death. How could you go, my love Without a thought Is it really more important that showing the dangerous of alcoholism by peoples moment who dying even ignore their life? Watson chooses subjects based on their deadly addictions to alcohol, an integral part to the film. He also gained the trust of his subjects to the extent that Vanda confined in him regarding her abuse as a child, and Nigels wife wanting Watson to be there when she said goodbye to him. RAIN IN MY HEART BOWY Rock 1,125Shazams play full song Get up to 5 months free of Apple Music Share OVERVIEW LYRICS PLAY FULL SONG Connect with Apple Music. By going that extra further he creates a relationship with the subjects. He found the only four people that were willing to take part in this film not to paint them in a bad light, but rather to show the general public what excessive consumption of alcohol could do to a person and how it can affect them physically and mentally, as well as their families. He would ask the interviewees why theyve relapsed or if they feel disappointed with their failed progress, but depending on the reaction to these questions, Watson would take a step back if he sensed it was in anyway emotionally challenging, until the subject would take control and continue/stop themselves. The subject was in a particularly vulnerable state and he took advantage of that and filmed her confession. What I think is that Watson did not exploit his subjects in the film. As a viewer, it was uncomfortable to watch Watson try and stay professional. Here's one depicting true alcoholism in the UK, realism at its best. Alluding to the culture of exploitning woman, as well as Spielbergs film being a commercial (and one which ends with a very colourful, affirming ending) intent makes it a machine absording actresses and horrors for the output of satisfying drama. Perhaps the strong emotional shocked felt from watching it is more to do with fearing our own mortality. 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