A Matter of Record: Documentary and War

A time-honored function of documentary storytelling is to explore the meaning of war and the progress of individual conflicts. As wars proliferate, and journalists are “embedded” ever-farther from scenes of violence, filmmakers face perennial dilemmas: how does one locate the narrative arc of a prolonged conflict? What effects can a filmmaker achieve far from the field of battle? Is it a responsibility, a luxury, or an extravagance to introduce aesthetic beauty to documentaries about war? Filmmakers James Longley (Iraq in Fragments), Heidi Specogna (The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez), and Patricia Foulkrod (The Ground Truth), with moderator Nick Fraser (BBC-Storyville), explore documentary’s most reliable subject in this important discussion.

Credits

Nick Fraser
Panelist
James Longley
Panelist
Heidi Specogna
Panelist
Patricia Foulkrod
Panelist
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