Theory and Practice in a Documentary - Essay Example

The relationship between theory and practice in a documentary Introduction A documentary is a filmmaker’s address to the contemporary world and to the issues that are central introspects to the society. It is different from fiction, which a filmmaker perceives as an imaginative world of his own perception depicts it in the celluloid. However, it is often opined that ‘Every film is documentary’ (Nichols, 2001, p1). To be explicit, we have ‘documentaries of wish fulfillment’ and ‘documentaries of social representation’. In both the categories, documentation is done reflecting a particular idea. Movies like science fiction are somehow inspired by the recent scientific researches and speculate on the possibility of future inventions and discoveries. The concept of horror movies is definitely mysterious but in reality a phobia for ghostly matter does operates. But a documentary is more realistic in approach and there is no willing suspension of disbelieve on the part of audiences and spectators. It provides an opportunity to peep into the lives of the others and witness their dilemmas and problems from a sociological perspective. The lives of the characters depicted in a documented film are more realistic and they belong to the same historical period of the audiences. However, it is ‘not a reproduction of reality, it is a representation of the world we already occupy’ (Nichols, 2001, p20). The subject matter of documentaries generally focuses on the social, political, economic, educational or environmental issues. In this respect, the documentary- ‘Panorama: British Schools, Islamic Rules’ has succeeded in exploring the rapid growth of new private schools in Britain influenced by the teachings of the extremists and fundamental groups, It is a documentary to investigate into the act of segregation conducted by the one faith school.   The documentary begins with an investigating spirit. It states in the introductory scene that over 95 percent of the schools in Britain favor communal harmony but there has been noticed the small but rapid growth of private schools ad Muslim state schools. John ware is the reporter for this documentary and aims to find out whether these schools are encouraging acts of segregation or not. In a documentary those issues are brought into notice that is ‘subject to debate’ (Nichols, 2001, p 49). The first Muslim school established in Britain is the Al-Furqan Primary School but it prepares it students to be tolerant towards other religions and faiths. It is evident from the keeping of various idols, beads etc of different faiths in the same place. The next scene moves to the interview sessions of students and the principal of the Al-Furqan Community College. The principal, Amjad Ahmed stresses on their ‘open door policy’ to secure a better future for the students by interacting and visiting to worship places of different religions. However, the point is-is it the truth or the apparent? John Ware is on his way to find out the real facts. Amjad Ahmed himself admits of the rise in the faith schools. To find out the truth is perhaps one of the ethics of the documentary filmmakers. In order to do that a comparative study is conducted between the liberalism and conservatism. In that respect, documentary is ‘always relational or comparative’ (Nichols, 2000, p20). The approach to the subject is formal and the ‘documentary filmmakers have a vocabulary or jargon of their own’ (Nichols, 2001, p 25). From the very introductory scene to the last scene a formal and realistic approaches to the film are perceived.   To look into the matter Internet searches are carried out. The Internet network of one faith school maintains orthodox and extremist views on religion. An interview of Barry Sheerman, MP, Former Chairman, Education Selection Committee has highlighted the dilemma of the politician to actually find out the truth of the situation. The focus and the ideology of a school must be taken into consideration. The reporter then moves to the place of the oldest area near Jam Mosque. John Ware adopts the method of meticulous narration. He is at times informative and descriptive. As we find him giving the precise date of its location and founding year. He confidently states that it was founded in the year 1977 and since then had been phenomenal in the establishments of a many institutions. Here not only the narrative pattern is discussed but also the ethics of filmmaking that states a good filmmaker should not interferes I the activities of camera movement and must go for faithful representation. However, in reality that is not possible everywhere and editing is done. The shift from one spot to the other is made easy and convenient by the smooth and soft tone of verbal narration. Therefore, there is an easy shift from Jama Mosque to Jameah Uloomul School for girls. The school follows strict code of conduct for the Muslim girls from the age of eleven to the ceremony of nikaaah. This vivid description is the reporter’s way of narrating. The scene then shifts to the narrator investigating into the websites of Darul Itfaa. It is quite rigid and orthodox in matters pertaining to the Muslim women. The camera captures those sites and zoom them to hit the minds of the spectators. The deft use of camera has initiated a pictorial narration. This is ‘the creative treatment of actuality’ (Winston, 1995, pp 3-11). It captures the web records of the extremists who state that ‘A female is encouraged to remain in the confines of home, she should not come of the home without need and necessity’. John Ware further finds out that the Darul preaches of Muslim loyalty to Muslim subjects and wants to abandon music on the grounds that it is a ‘direct ploy of the non-Muslims’. This notion of the organization is propagated in a picturesque manner by capturing   scene of various musical instruments that is kept in a room and the attacking words are blooming out on the screen. This method was also employed in the scene where the idea of the documentary hits the screen. The pictorial narration is in fact the key in highlighting the issues of the documentary. This kind of pictographic effect edits the work to some extent. At this juncture we may bring in the discussion of indexicality. Idexicality refers to the use of words and expressions one having its genesis in the literal meaning and the other intends to show the contents. Each set of words and expressions have dual purpose to serve. The documentary directly negates the use of the terms like ‘Kaffar’ as it germinates the seeds of racial discrimination. The reporter also narrates the claim of the Jameah Ulmool School that they appreciate diversity. However the narration relates to the Muslim dictums that should be within the bounds of Sharia. They condemn the celebration of birthdays and to Muslim fundamentalists it is the practice of the ‘immoral’. These Muslim institutions to maintain their religious sacredness avoid the maintenance of swimming pools. The documentary intends to stop the anti-Semitic propagandas carried out in the school in the name of religion. The speakers like Riyadh Ul Haq evoke communalism by associating terrorism with crusades. The institutions like Al-Risaala and Apex Primary Schools are alleged to bring into the school premise speakers like Riyadh Ul Haq and Sheikh Haitham Al-Haddad. The documentary also covers scenes of the riots that broke out in summer of 2001in Britain as a result of communal conflict. Here we may raise the ethics of documentation, which teaches us to be objective even in hours of cricis. It is suggested while covering war the filmmaker should be uninvolved and remains unaffected by it and must not run away from the situation. It also observes on the survey conducted by the Bridge Schools Inspector (BSI) to restrain anti-Semitic activities in the domain of the Muslim state schools. The documentary also captures the contradiction of these schools. Amjad Ahmed says that his school is motivated b6y the liberal ideals yet it shows no affinity to BSI but remains to Ofsted. The reporter is a Britisher and the most of the persons he interviews are from the British background. Therefore, it is probable the documentary in a whole may present a biased view. In this documentary mass opinions are not taken into consideration. The very title suffers from bias attitude and is governed by the preconceived notion that Islamic rules are operative in the one faith school. The web sites in formations are true but it is not worthwhile to give a dictum without hearing the response. In the film, John Ware is not supposed to comment on the issues, his purpose is only to seek information but he too gets biased while delivering his speech. This is what we may call ‘fictional manipulation ‘of narration. Therefore, we must understand that there are differences between theories of documentaries and in the practical application of it. The ethics of documentation states of choosing a realistic and contemporary subject and in that way this film are a fine exemplary. The other way narration states that the ‘voice of documentary’ is the ‘voice of oratory ‘and here what we call he John Ware’s subjective approach to the subject is the filmmaker’s perception of the truth. It must be remembered that film direction to some extent is bound to be governed by personalism. (Nichols, 2001, p. 49) Therefore an art of story telling is perceived in a documentary but care should be taken such that ‘argument or neutrality needs to be grounded on accuracy’ (Bernard, 2007, pp. 2-5)  Conclusion ‘Panorama: British Schools, Islamic Rules’ as a documentary has succeeded in showing the socio-political reality to some extent. It was able to show what the reality should be, what it is now but it has failed to predict what it should become in the near future. The instruments of indexicality, ethics, editing and narration are the elements of documentaries. However, the issues hit upon in this documentary show that how on the name of religion and faith racial discrimination is impregnated in the social fabric and culture. It is not worth to develop animosity towards other religions. Religious preaching must be done but it must be liberal enough to accommodate and respect the values of the other religious faiths. The feeling of nationalism is definitely a patriotic approach but jingoism makes oneself intolerant towards the other nationalistic phenomena. Islam must not mix nationalism with religious values and it must not be manipulate the religion to achieve selfish goals. It is against the laws of humanity to use children as a medium for obtaining the zenith of political success in the name of Islam and Allah. In the eyes of Allah or God all are equals. Then we cannot also allege to all the Muslim schools in Britain that they practice the extremist ideologies. A Muslim child or a person belonging to the Islamic world may be carried away by these ideologies if he has not a proper knowledge of the Quran. The texts followed in these schools go with extremists views that are mentioned nowhere in Quran. References Bernard, S.C, (2007), Documentary Storytelling: Making Stronger and More Dramatic Films, Focal Press  Nichol, B, (2000), Introduction to Documentary, Bloomington and Indiapolis Panorama: British Schools, Islamic Rules – part 1, available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQhki5RGLGs (accessed on December 22, 2010) Panorama: British Schools, Islamic Rules – part 2, available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHwF6pXqubU (accessed on December 22, 2010) Winston, B, (1995), Claiming the Real: The Grie sonian Documentary and its Legitimations, British Film Institute  Read More