Sean Mcallisters Documentaries - Coursework Example

Sean McAllister: Hero or Villain Sean McAllister’s Documentaries Michael Moore described Sean McAllister as one of the most powerful and brave filmmakers to have existed. After leaving education at the age of sixteen, McAllister worked in and out of various factories before owning a camera and filming right into the National Film School. Sean graduated in 1996, and since then he has developed films for both Channel 4 and the BBC; working in Israel, United Kingdom, Japan, and of late the Yemen, and Syria. Sean an award winning documentary maker celebrated as one of the most talented and endowed filmmakers of the United Kingdom. His work spans over wide ranging types of films including his previous films Working for the Enemy (1997) and Minders (1998), which both received recommendations for the Royal Television Society Awards, and his latest successes, Liberace of Baghdad (2004) and A story of Love and Hate: Japan (2008). All through the years, the work that Sean McAllister has engaged in has been marvelous and stunning, portraying characteristics of frankness and intimacy. His work has covered people from myriad parts of the globe who are grappling to make ends meet, and people caught in personal and political conflict trying to comprehend the world as it is to them. Recently, the documentary developer has released yet another touching feature, The Reluctant Revolutionary (2012), which talks about a tour guide from Yemeni, who evolved into a revolutionary. This recent release found its way into the Panorama Dokumete’s sixty second Berlinale. At the moment, the documentary maker is filming in Asia as well as Europe. The producer spans over various forms of entertainment. However, his role and contribution in the documentary film is most conspicuous and will be the subject of discussion in this essay. Documentary films: Genre and Roles Over the recent years, documentary films have risen in terms of fame and have become common in mainstream television as well as cinema. The profession adoption of affordable technologies, the poor transition of traditional media, and the constant pressure from viewers and audiences for political discussion and information has made reality television and documentary films to grow in terms of production and reception. Various filmmakers such as Michael Moore and Errol Morris have been on the forefront in the development and growth of documentary films. It is relevant to consider the documentary films that have won the attention of the viewers and judges so much that they have been recognized through awards such as the Oscar (Sapino, 2011). Today, professional and amateur directors as well as their documentaries proliferate, dealing with novel topics and pushing the limits of documentary film as a form like never before. Documentary filmmakers have been depicting an excellent vitality since the genre was founded. If this is indeed true, it should also be noted that documentary films have had peculiar innovation from the time they became known. In the 1950s, Basil observed that the documentary films offered an opportunity of freedom from the confines of commercial cinema. Since documentary was more concerned with the novel application of film, it led to enormous openings for trialing with the film medium. Thus, developing a given set of constraints that work of media has to conform to belong to the documentary genre is not easy. Even after introduction of the term “documentary” in the 1930s by the Lumiere Brothers recording of their daily lives’ scenes, but on which no thorough analysis has been done, documentary has always remained, “ work without limits or boundaries,” “ an ambiguous concept.” The ideas of the practice vary depending on the notion that the collective institutions and the director or filmmaker have of the final work they are developing (Hampe, 1997). It is clear why some characterizations of documentary films such as those of Grierson’s statement, “I am persuaded that the best way to training in documentary is a good education in economics or political science,” are not prescriptive rules. Instead, they serve as diverse ends of attraction in a continuing dialect, whose intricacy constitutes the abundance of documentary as a genre (Rosenthal, 2007). In 1926, Grierson, in his analysis of Moana by Flaherty Robert, stated that the movie had some documentary value since it gave a visual account of the daily life of a youthful character in Polynesia. Nevertheless, the same author gave the following definition a couple of years later: The documentary is the category of film development, which goes to the actual, and pictures it and edits it and models it. It tries to give pattern and form to the intricacy of direct observation (Nichols, 1991). This statement, recorded in 1946, contained all the elements that would prove important in the realization and adoption of documentary movies of all times, and which still are at the core of most essential discussion. According to Grierson, the origins of documentary are in what can be termed “reality.” However, reality depends to the innovation or creativity of the director or filmmaker, who manipulates the documentary through various deliberate processes of association and selection, in order to proceed beyond the confines of direct observation, and to offer a precise, usually politically inclined meaning (Nichols, 1991). William Rothman gave further elucidation on documentary films in his analysis of Grierson’s comments on Flaherty’s film. He stated that Grierson gave the term “documentary” a new meaning, besides the mere implication that it is a representation of real events, which is “to teach.” Therefore, besides representing the actual occurrences of events, documentaries are there for educational purposes. They provide teaching the application of sophisticated rhetorical devices to pictures pinched from real life events. The authoritative voice contained in documentary films provides an illusion that serves as an opening to the world (Rothman, 1997). Sean McAllister’s work fits the definition and criteria of documentary film as per Grierson and Rothman’s elucidations. His documentary filmings employ creativity or innovation in highlighting real life events that consequently provide relevant lessons to the viewers. This analysis looks into two of McAllister’s documentaries: Liberace of Baghdad and the Minders, which highlight real life situations in an enthralling yet educational manner. The two documentaries are a clear depiction of innovation and creativity embedded together in a manner that imparts knowledge while preserving the actuality of the events. The documentary developer is hero, and not a villain, as he develops great work, which educates and entertains the viewers. Liberace of Baghdad This remarkable documentary reveals the everyday life that people in Post-Saddam’s era go through. Sean McAllister meant to make a film to depict the liberation of the people of Iraq, but he went astray after meeting a Samir Peter developing the documentary as it is now. Held up in a highly militarized Baghdad hotel, Samir Peter, a pianist, and Sean McAllister attempt to survive in the delicate post-war Iraq. Samir Peter, once most of the renowned pianist in Iraq, plays for contractors, besieged journalists, and mercenaries in a half empty hotel. Back during his peak, Samir was the Liberace of Baghdad, but things are different for him now as he sleeps in poorly constructed hotel room. Surprisingly, he owns a seven-bedroom mansion across the street, but he cannot cross to it because he is afraid of the security situation. His string of girlfriends from the west has reached his children and wife who are now leaving for the United States. However, Samir gets a chance to enjoy life in the United States after acquiring a visa. He has an opportunity to live up to what he calls his last adventure. Sadly, though, his pro Saddam young daughter refuses to board a plane with him to America because of she hates for the country and its contribution to the current state of Iraq. At the same time, Samir’s neighbor dies after being murdered. The violence escalates out of hand and Samir is now left at the crossroads (Screendaily, 2013). Will he sacrifice his dream for the place of his family in war-torn Iraq? Sean McAllister, the Minders This documentary summarizes the resignations that permeate the Iraqi society pretty well. The documentary presents the actual realities in Iraqi during the crisis. In Minders, McAllister carried out filming through the air strikes giving his information minders ministry a double portrait, Alla and Kifah. Kifah is a desirable and decent former English teacher who loves a rare spell of waged labor. The teacher is also football lover who cannot forget Moore. The documentary developer proceeds on with filming in the midst of unrest, and he does so with a touching and illuminating picture of the daily life in Iraq (Tenfoot films, 2013). At the time of the filming, McAllister was stuck in Baghdad with several journalists from various countries that had come to the city to cover news and stories. The decision to make the story around two minders, Alla and Kifah, who are assigned to journalists from abroad, gives the viewers an insight into the actual political climate of the country. The conversation that the documaker engages the two minders ranges from simple talks on ice cream to social talk on English football. Through the use of regular conversation, the documentary offers a clear picture of the situation in the country (Tenfoot films, 2013). Discussion Sean McAllister goes to great lengths to present the condition of life in Post-Saddam Iraq. The accounts are so real that the viewers can feel the dangers. Viewers can imagine themselves in the place of Peter as he is stuck in the hotel, trying to get a Visa, and contemplating between leaving Iraq for America without his family. The documentary producer uses family relations to represent political problems and enmity. Peter’s daughter refuses to go to America on claims that America has caused them all the problems that they are experiencing now. The use of family relations here denotes the tense relations between Americans and the people of Iraq. Further, the relationship between Peter and his wife is broken because of Peter’s extramarital affairs signifying further the extent of damage that the documentary developer has caused. The producer employs the setting for the documentary, his main character, and duration carefully and adequately. His decision to choose Baghdad as his primary filming location makes sense since the viewer is given the actual picture of the political climate in the country. The producer goes behind the precarious of Iraq, focusing on a professional pianist, whose career became disrupted by the strife that arose after the toppling of Saddam. Prepared for over eight months, Liberace of Baghdad provides insight into the impact of the United States-led invasion as well as occupation of Iraq. The director is a risk not to mention his subject, showing the factuality of the documentary. One can clearly see that the developer of the documentary brings out various characteristics of a documentary through his work. McAllister work conforms to Grierson’s definition of the documentary genre. Grierson considers documentary work to be a form of political and social communication, meant to educate and eventually promote social reform, and that is exactly what the viewers see in Liberals of Baghdad. The documentary also fulfills Rothman’s criteria of a documentary, as it is creative. The creativity of the documentary stems from the use of family ties to depict political tension and problems. The storyline is creative, and not necessarily actual occurrences, but they stand for what took place after the invasion of Iraq, the fall of Saddam, and the political unsettlement that loomed over the entire country. Sean McAlister conforms to ethical considerations and abides to the rules enlisted by the society for creative anachronism and other media authorities. His reservations and considerations while developing the documentary are a clear depiction of his ethical concerns and obedience to filming regulations. Firstly, he confines his filming to a particular region and does not traverse greatly due to the restrictions that are in the Post-Saddam Iraq environment. This shows that the documaker considers acquisition of permission when filming public places an important measure to consider when developing a documentary. SCA requires documentary and filmmakers to acquire proper permission before proceeding to use particular environments. Further, the developer restricts himself from exposing identities, showing his ethical concerns. Various elements in the documentary push the boundaries of the theory and practice of documentary. The fact that the main actor of the documentary cannot make it to his seven-bedroom mansion across the street presents a clear view of the precariousness of the situation. Here, a documentary producer uses the situation as an analogy of how tense things are in Baghdad. Suddenly, there is solace, Peter has a chance to live up to his dream in America, but fails to do so without entering into a confrontation with his daughter, not forgetting the tenseness between him and his wife. The developer conjures the twists in the documentary in such a manner to bring out the true picture of the situation in Iraq. The documentary also employs various styles that might not be factual in attempting to assert the reality in Iraq. The security situation and the political climate come out clear through the application of various techniques by the producer, McAllister. The minders provide elucidations of Iraq’s politically tense climate in 1998 as much as the Liberace of Baghdad does. Elements of education are evident in the development of the documentary. The producer uses an innovative channel to provide the viewers with a deep insight of the situation in Iraq in 1998. The documentary educates the viewers on the political climate in the nation while entertaining them with somewhat regular conversation between the McAllister and the minders. Here, Steve uses a rather clever means to educate regular viewers who do not have access to Bagdad on the situation in the nation. The education provides much more than mere news does provide. Again, just like in Liberace of Baghdad, McAllister conforms to Grierson’s definitions of a documentary. The minders’ main storyline depicts political strife in the country. Additionally, McAllister replicates the same characteristics that were present in one of the first documentaries, Lumeires, which illuminated the daily activities of people. In this film, the daily activities of the people of Baghdad come to life and viewers can put themselves, not only in the shoes of the citizens of Iraq, but also in the place of the numerous journalists stuck in the country during the strife. McAllister does not cross boundaries when it comes to ethical considerations in this documentary. He does not take any sides of the political ideologies in the nation. Instead, he is partial and documents the views of others more than he presents his views. Further, the director confines filming in terms of subject matter as well as location implying that the director is aware and conforms to local regulations and filming guidelines that aim at maintaining ethical considerations. Conclusion Documentaries give watchers great entertainment, education, and representation of events as they are. Over the years, various scholars have attempted to define and state the features that define documentaries. However, the idea that documentaries are meant to be a representation of factual events has remained all through. Further, various sources depict that documentaries are meant to be educative in nature. These characteristics are present in Sean McAllister’s documentaries: the Minders and Liberace of Baghdad. Sean presents as a hero in his work because of the features he is able to include in his documentaries while maintaining the factuality of the events. References Hampe, B. (1997). Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries of Real Events (p. 370). Henry Holt and Company. Nichols, B. (1991). Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary (p. 340). Indiana University Press. Rosenthal, A. (2007). Writing, Directing, and Producing Documentary Films and Videos, Fourth Edition. SIU Press. Rothman, W. (1997). Documentary Film Classics. Cambridge University Press. Sapino, R. (2011). What is a Documentary Film : Discussion of the Genre. Freie Universität, Berlin. Screendaily. (2013). The Liberace Of Baghdad. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.screendaily.com/the-liberace-of-baghdad/4022453.article Tenfoot films. (2013). Sean McAllister - Films, The Minders (1998). Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://www.seanmcallister.com/films/theminders.php Read More