Documentaries and Subjectivity

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attacks on September 11th, are frequently put under speculation and criticized based on who is chosen to speak in the film, where the film takes place, and what information is portrayed. Regardless of the manner in which the filmmakers choose to present the material, there will inevitably be a certain amount of backlash that follows the release of any film. Because of this, it is important that the filmmaker be true to their sentiments and provide a subjective argument regardless of what negativity they may receive as a result. Super Size Me, a documentary focusing on a man who explores the consequences of eating nothing but McDonald’s for an entire month, has faced a world of criticism following the inaccuracy of his results and the implications that they are responsible for. Critics that are focused on the fallacies of his work have lost the importance of this piece of work, however the significance has not been lost on the larger population. People around the country have realized the dangers of food, sometimes questioned by scientists as to its authenticity, and are taking steps to improve the choices they make regarding their health. Had Morgan Spurlock negated to make an argument in his piece and rather remained objective throughout his documentary, the country would not have been able to see the things he concerned himself with. It is thus evident that criticism by the few is unavoidable, but the impact of a message on the many is much more important.

The world of movies is exponentially large, and the world of documentary films is becoming more prevalent in our society every day. It is becoming clear that to have power you must have knowledge, and documentary films have become a visual source of this knowledge for people all around the world. When a filmmaker takes the liberty to create a film that is subjective, they open themselves up to boundless opportunities to influence the minds of people all around them. Subjectivity offers these filmmakers a chance to make their mark on the world and infuse their influence into the world stage. With any given topic, the amount of directions that could be taken are endless, and thus the filmmaker is able to impart his or her own thoughts on their audience, broadening their horizons and opening their eyes to new and unknown territory. In 2011, the Puma Creative Impact award was created in order to recognize a documentary film each year that has made the most significant positive impact on society or the environment. This award seeks to acknowledge the enormous impression documentaries and their filmmakers can have on the world and those that live in it. The jurors that whittle down the list of documentaries to a few finalists and ultimately choose the winner are not the only people that experience the effect documentaries have. Every single member of a documentary’s audience has the potential to be influenced, and thus the subjectivity of a filmmaker is vital to their unlocking of the enormous potential that they have.

As documentary films become more popular in our culture, the filmmakers who produce them come to wield more influence on society as a whole. Because of this, it is extremely important that these filmmakers take advantage of their ability by incorporating subjectivity into their work. Any piece of art without direction is inevitably prone to be thrown off track, and the emotion that a subjective piece lets in is vital to ensuring that this does not occur. Ultimately, there are a large variety of components that make up a successful documentary film, but the subjectivity that the filmmaker has the option of including is the glue that holds it together and the motor that keeps it moving. A documentary is not lost without subjectivity, but it is certainly greatly advantaged by the