DOCUMENTARY

Why make documentaries?

The author of the text, esteemed director of documentary films, questions why should we invade someone’s privacy in the first place? She considers different attempts of theoretical responses to that question in view of the choice of the subject and preparations for the shooting. She discusses the problem of authenticity, fidelity and ethics on the basis of her own experiences and problems encountered at the shooting of the award winning documentary The Duel, in which a mother feeds her child. She also addresses the problem of documentary film in the era of digital video. Finally, she gives the only possible answer to the question from the beginning; we should invade other people’s privacy because it is intriguing! When you invade someone’s privacy with a camera, you have to be more than purely professional; you have to be human, considerate, sensitive and positive. You have to invest your energy. Filming someone’s private life is a way to get to know the person in a very special way.

Katarina-Zrinka Matijević Veličan