Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My roommate hates documentaries. He argues that they are boring and misleading because they adopt a narrative that appears to be objective, when in fact certain biases and interests drive their production.
For the most part I do not find documentaries to be boring. I like them just as much as I like other movies. But my roommate has a point. There is no such thing as an objective documentary, or for that matter truly objective newspapers, news shows, academic papers, etc. Every medium is unavoidably subjected to some form of bias; there is always an author.
Because of this unavoidable condition, I have grown to appreciate documentaries that delve into their own subjectivity.
This past weekend I went to the True/False Film Fest, a documentary festival in Columbia, Mo. There I was able to watch a documentary that embraces its own limitations, both in its form and in its approach to the story presented.
“Waltz with Bashir” is a unique animated documentary by Israeli director Ari Folman. I left the movie theater floored.
The film portrays Folman’s efforts to remember his experiences in the Israeli Defense Forces during the 1982 Lebanon War, memories he apparently repressed. It specifically focuses on where he was during the Sabra and Shatila massacres that occurred after the assassination of Bashir Gemayel, the Lebanese president at the time. A Lebanese Christian militia massacred hundreds of Palestinian refugees, and the IDF played a role in enabling the violence.
So what makes “Waltz with Bashir” different from other documentaries?
First, it doesn’t attempt to give the audience an objective assessment of the Lebanon War or of the massacres. Instead it makes it clear that the plot is based on Folman’s and the interviewees’ experiences. Folman emphasizes that this is the story told from the perspective of a 40-something trying to gain access to the memories of terrible events he experienced when he was 19. And he makes us aware that war is hell.
Another compelling aspect of Folman’s documentary is that it’s almost entirely animated. Though some may argue that this form runs the risk of aestheticizing violence (which it does), it also provides a counter benefit: By relying on animation, Folman recognizes and makes it clear to the audience that these are his and his interviewees’ memories, and thus personal and subjective.
Perhaps all media can learn from “Waltz with Bashir.” Although striving for objectivity is commendable, it is, in fact, only an ideal, something impossible to be achieved. It might be better for news media to recognize this and, instead of presenting an objective façade, actually admit and discuss the limitations of being observers who are, no matter what, involved in the issues reported. Their message would become more powerful by recognizing, and even embracing, their unavoidable subjectivity.
— De Oliveira is a Belo Horizonte, Brazil senior in journalism and history.
Movie review: 'Waltz with Bashir'
3 1/2 out of 4 stars
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