Online Response 1 - The Documentary Advocate

The decline into worldwide economic depression in 1929 elicited a different kind of film. Hollywood was predominantly producing golden-age escapist films, such as the classic Ginger Draper and Fred Astaire musicals. However, not all audiences wanted to be distracted by the glitz and glam of fabricated sets. Many were creating films based in the difficult realities of the day. Documentary filmmaking lent itself particularly well to recording and bringing to light the specific issues of the time period. Filmmakers such as John Grierson, were particularly influential in creating a new trend in the documentary tradition. He sought the “drama of the doorstep” to help “lead the citizen through the wilderness”. His film Drifters(1929) became an important catalyst in  motivating others to take up the camera as an advocate for the actual and relevant world issues. They would find the stories that were "right under their noses" to unveil truth happening.

Housing Problems (Grierson 1935). This film, like many of Grierson's films, advocated for the improvement of a certain social issue.

While Grierson and others sought to advocate positive social change though film, others were using documentary to solicit change as well, but by conforming their viewers to a specific ideal. For example, in Germany at the same time, Hitler was consolidating his power and was seeking to disseminate Nazi ideas to the people. He also turned to film as a powerful tool in advocating a cause. He was particularly fond of one specific filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, who had had a fairly successful career as an actor turned director. He asked her to film a grandiose political demonstration in 1935. This would become the chilling propaganda piece called Triumph des Willens (Triumph of Wills). This film and many others produced by the Ministry of Propaganda would play an important role in cultivating Nazi ideals and antisemitic sentiments. Documentary was quickly becoming a powerful tool in advocating for any cause, whether judged as right or wrong by the viewer.

Triumph of Wills (Riefenstahl 1935). Although lauded for its technical innovation and effectiveness, this film became a dark mark on Riefenstahl’s career permanently associating her with one of the most horrific events of history.

Today, documentary is still commonly used to call attention to specific social issues or advocate for change. One such example is Alive Inside (Rossato-Bennett 2014), a moving piece about music therapy with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Micheal Rossato-Bennett works with Dan Cohen to introduce music and the miracles it works into as many nursing homes as possible. Their story is beautiful, heartfelt, and extremely motivating. It is difficult to come away without having cried a little (or a lot) and thinking about our own elderly loved ones. Through Rossato-Bennett and Cohen’s efforts, individual iPods and personalized playlists have been gifted to hundreds of elders throughout the US, and they hope to keep going. This film particularly shows the power of documentary in inspiring change.




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