Documentary as a Political Tool: Activism vs. Propaganda
From MediaStudies
Lecture by Robyn and Trang - Wed., October 8, 2008
Contents |
Activism vs. Propaganda
For those of us who saw Michael Parenti speak or lecture last week this subject might at first appear redundant. However with regard specifically to documentary and forms of video related media this session will discuss the various ways in which a non-fiction video production can potentially incite change. This change can be at both ends of the political spectrum. A piece of governmental propaganda has the potential to create radical change, but the same must be said of a social, or activist approach to film. How is the form of Documentary employed to sway the individual? Of course at the fundamental level every moving image employs tools to affect the viewer. However, at what point does the consciousness of the viewer, or the larger viewing public fundamentally shift? Is this possible? Has this happened? Is this a "good thing"? We would like to delve deeper into the idea of media production, mostly in the case of the documentary, has been created with the expressed intention of swaying public interests.
Trang will be covering the Propagandist methods of both documentary and non-fiction film. Robyn will be covering the "social documentary" and various examples of films that have attempted to alter public opinion and stir up the desire for change. In addition Robyn will also look at a number of examples of non-profit organizations that are working to democratize media and media output. What are some of the options out there for those of us looking to go into the field of documentary, especially pertaining to media justice?
Assignments
Viewings
- 1. Watch the trailer for Iraq for Sale (2006, Robert Greenwald, 2 mins). To view the entire documentary, select "Watch Film Now". The documentary is 76 minutes long, but it's very interesting, so please watch all of it, if you can.
- 2. Watch An Inconvenient Truth (2006, Davis Guggenheim with Al Gore), from 1:00 - 4:26.
- 3. Watch this 11 minute film made by Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM), "a non-profit agency that works to advance workers' rights and 'monitor' corporate behavior. revealed gross violations of Chinese labor laws and international codes of conduct relating to work safety and compensation at factories that manufactured Disney merchandise in southern China."
Websites to Visit
Please look over these websites and start to familiarize yourself with these various organizations that are all concerned with the usage of video and media in the production of knowledge. If you know of anymore foundations that you think might be useful for the group, please feel free to add them below.
- 1. http://www.papertiger.org/
- 2. http://mediagrassroots.net/
- 3. http://www.videoactivism.org/ - Click on Media Activist Network Links. There is a pretty extensive list of activist groups chiefly concerned with media justice and grassroots groups that are working to foster a more varied landscape.
- 4. http://www.bignoisefilms.com/
- 5. http://www.videoactivism.org/watchglobal.html
Readings
- 1. The Documentary As Propaganda: An Inconvenient Truth by Gerard Donnelly Smith (3 pages).
- 2. Read Film and Propaganda in America: A Documentary History (Volume 4). Read Preface (ix-xii, 4 pages).
- 3. Read Robert Brent Toplin's review (2 pages).
- 4. Read one chapter from this overview of the Social Documentary. Come prepared to speak on the section you read.
Class
1. Initial comments about the assigned video clips and readings
2. Documentary as propaganda
3. Documentary as activism
Post-Class
Thank you all for the wonderful comments in class today. I guess a lot of us feel like we want to make something substantial, but we run into the problem of not knowing where to start. I think today's discussion is a good starting ground for all of us. Please post any websites that you run into along your search so that we can all benefit from it!
Also, if anyone found an iPod in Crookshank 8 today, please let Robyn Kopp know. Thank you!
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Room: Pomona, Crookshank 8
Susana Lopez
Kendall Fleisher
Magee Clegg
