by Andrew Einspruch
Filmmaker Andrew Einspruch recently attended the Australian International Documentary Conference and wrote a series of articles for the event, which he’s graciously allowed us to reprint here. These articles originally appeared in Screen Hub, the daily online newspaper for Australian film and television professionals.
A discussion of ethics in documentary making is a bi-annual tradition at the Australian International Documentary Conference. Screen Hub’s Andrew Einspruch reports on the session chaired by Screen Hub Editor, David Tiley.
Documentary is a hands-on affair. The filmmaker goes into a situation, observes, harvests the story, then moves on. In some cases, like a constructed reality show, participants are put in situations that cause them to undergo a change – or not. In any case, people’s lives are affected, for good or ill. And the documentary maker is faces with responsibilities both before and after their work goes to air.
