Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on his experiences directing films in Ireland, Haiti, Brazil and South Africa, McLaughlin reflects on the potential of documentary film to provide a platform for those who have experienced political violence to challenge dominant narratives that marginalises them, and that offers potential for personal and public healing. Using participatory methodologies, each case study analyses conditions of production, political context, participatory potential, and impact of the films on both survivors and the general public. Challenges are addressed and lessons suggested for similar projects in the areas of documentary film, transitional justice, participatory ethnography and political activism.
Trade Review“McLaughlin radically listens to stories of trauma most people do not want to hear. His exploration into these liminal spaces is an extensive study on participant-led mitigation of colonial violence and documentary hierarchy. It occupies a risky territory, between governments, terrorists, and political waves with innocent people at its core.” —Soumyaa Behrens, Director, Documentary Film Institute, Faculty, School of Cinema, San Francisco State University, USA.
“This timely book is valuable in its discussion of ethical issues and subject participation in documentary films where survivors of violence and trauma, generally excluded from public discourse, return to the locations of their traumatic experiences. The book challenges the notion of a one-size-fits-all ethical protocol for subject trust and collaboration.” —Dr Jill Daniels, Senior Lecturer Film, University of East London, UK.
Table of ContentsList of Figures; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1 Practice as Research; 2. Prisons Memory Archive; 3. It Stays with You; 4. Right Now I Want to Scream; 5. We Never Gave Up; Conclusion; References; Index
