Restrepo: Documentarians, Stakeholders, and the SPJ Code of Ethics - Serving Competing Allegiances - Essay Example

RESTREPO FILM affiliation RESTREPO FILM d after the first soldier to die, Restrepo is a documentary by filmmaker Sebastian Junger that talks about American soldiers during a 15 month tour duty in the Korangal Valley. This is the most desolate land in Afghanistan. The Taliban is clearly present in this area and they move freely through the population and the landscape, and at one point they attack the soldiers. The battle company in this documentary is led by Captain Dab Kearney who aims at establishing an outpost at a key point on the Taliban battle routes.

This film was filmed at great personal risk for the author Sebastian Junger and the war photographer Tim Hetherington (Junger, 2010).Stakeholders in the Film The stakeholders in this movie include Juan ‘Doc Restrepo who inspired the name of this documentary after his death during the war in Afghanistan. Other stakeholders include Captain Dan Kearney, Misha Pemble-Belkin, Kyle Steiner, LaMonta Caldwell, Miguel Cortez who is a specialist, Brendan O’Bryrne, Aron Hijar, William Ostlud, Sterling Jones, Stephen Gillespie, Joshua McDonough, the residents, and the valley elders.

Stakeholders’ Treatment When talking about Juan ‘Doc Restrepo, the filmmaker and the soldiers minimized harm. The filmmaker showed compassion to Juan’s family by not reporting too much information that my adversely affect them, especially, since the documentary was shown on National Geographic, a national television channel. He was sensitive when seeking information about the doctor and even dedicated the film to him by naming the film Restrepo. Captain Dan Kearney is treated truthfully and accurately.

The filmmaker shows him as a source of truthful in the information which he provides. He is truthful when he says that they get shot at every day. The filmmaker also shows him ensuring that the information provided is accurate and is not misleading. This is clear when he is talking to the valley elders during one of their weekly meetings. In this particular meeting, he confirms the information before he answers the elders when they ask about two prisoners. Misha Pemble-Belkin is treated as compassionately especially in his interview.

The filmmaker shows what will not negatively impact his family. This is according to his wishes that are clearly seen because he took a long time to tell them the situation on the ground because he knew that this information will adversely affect them. He kept quiet until he was in the middle of his deployment to inform his family. Other soldiers in the battle company, including Kyle Steiner, LaMonta Caldwell, Miguel Cortez, Brendan O’Bryrne, Aron Hijar, William Ostlud, Sterling Jones, Stephen Gillespie, and Joshua McDonough are treated independently.

The filmmaker shows exactly what happens when they meet the residents and the elders, for example, when they go to visit residents in order to get information about the Taliban fighters on a voluntary basis. They make this people, through their elders in order to understand that corporation with them is for their own benefit and independent. They do not get information for favors or as a result of instilling fear even after the residents refuse to tell them for fear of being killed by the Taliban.

The valley elders have been treated compassionately, especially when he showed them urging the soldiers not to shoot ordinary people and telling them that they are okay if they shoot the enemy. This showed that they were welcoming the work on the soldiers in fighting the enemy. The residents have been treated independently because the filmmaker has shown some people sharing information and has also shown others who do not because of the fear of being killed by the Taliban.Conclusion The filmmaker has generally done a good job in his treatment of each of the stakeholders in the film.

BibliographyJunger, S. (Director). (2010). Restrepo [Motion Picture].Society of Professional Journalists. (1996). Code of Ethics. Code of Ethics.