Considering documentary is perhaps my most favourite form/genre in film, I very much enjoyed this week’s lecture and debate in tutorial. Interesting points about cultural relevance, ethical concerns (in relation to production and exhibition) were raised in both and it was great to hear the variety of arguments being proposed. I particularly liked that Greg explored how the documentary form has evolved over time and all the different types that exist today because at times we forget that it is a changing and multi-dimensional medium that produces very different outcomes for individual texts.
One of my all time favourite websites is Vive Cool City. It is an online-based video site that contains 2-10 minute doco shorts on an incredibly wide variety of subjects, generally still considered taboo. From personal stories of Marijuana producers, porn-stars, heroin addicts, fetishists, drag personalities and marginalised indigenous people to lighter subjects and fun, such as festival and party wrap ups and their ‘How to’ series, eg. ‘how to roll the perfect joint’, ‘how to get an island tattoo’ or even ‘how to operate on your mates.’
I think these guys have really taken the documentary form to the next level and raise very interesting questions about ethics. Here is a clip of a subject that I would probably would not have access to elsewhere that opened my eyes about a rather taboo and concealed issue in society.
http://www.vivecoolcity.com/episode/103
