Visualize Reality is a Lie

Initiate by latest discussion about visual research, I am wonder and try to re-think about some documentary movie that I’ve made. Several titles are closest to traditional ritual and environment campaign, but none contains in-depth and concern to one specific sub topic. Most of them were superficial and less focused on single sub-topic. Some said, it was similar to cultural profile video then documentary movie.
Lets look in defining the documentary, what is documentary? One simple common answer is; not a movie, at least not movie like Titanic. Some said; a movie that isn’t fun or totally serious movie, or something that tries to teach, to show, to attract you by reality in visual form. American Film Critic, Patricia Aufderheide said, “documentary is a movie about real life; they are not real life. They are not even windows onto real life. They are portraits of real life, using real life as their raw material, constructed by artist and technicians who make myriad decisions about what story to tell to whom, and for what purpose”. So exactly documentary is not a real life, it is just part of real life that selected and wrapping by an artist. Documentary is not live report news on TV; it is also not a real life transform to TV show. Documentary is a little piece of selected life reality that is might be come as a concern and issue to show.
Documentary is a movie that does its best to represent real life and that doesn’t manipulate it. And yet, there is no way to make a film without manipulating the information. Selection of topic, editing, mixing sound are all manipulations. Broadcast Journalist Edward R. Murrow once said, “anyone who believes that every individual film must represent a “balanced” picture knows nothing about either balance or pictures.”
Documentary as reality movie was well known by Robert Flaherty masterpieces through Nanook of The North that was exploring Inuit. In Fact Nanook of The North is considered become a first great documentaries become debatable, because The Inuit was assumed roles at filmmaker Robert Flaherty’ direction. In this case Robert Flaherty did not let the real life plays naturally in his film, but Flaherty was set it up. Flaherty’s intent to become participatory observer through live with The Inuit, was the best choice to take first step in this movie, but unfortunately, what is Flaherty wanted on filmed was not fit to the reality.
That was an example of selected life reality. What is in our head and imagine was not always the same with the reality that we have observed and selected. So, its important to observed the main topic in our film concern, so you can easily pick one idea to film. We share truth and reality through movie, we don’t offer dream so then audience can appreciate with their own opinion.