Studying and Creating Documentaries: What is truth and it is possible to document it?

As a self-attempted “health nut” (who, I’ll admit, secretly binge eats Twinkies from time to time), I really enjoy food documentaries.  In general, I am a big fan of documentaries; however, as a communications major in undergrad, who took a whole class aimed at the topic of reality television (including documentaries), I understand, as well as appreciate, the fact that no documentary is telling the whole and entire truth.  Bias is always something that creeps its way into reality television.  Further, we must discuss the topic and idea of “what is reality”?  Is it possible to document reality when the presence of cameras are in the way and people know they are being filmed?  Even if there were hidden cameras, I strongly believe that filmmakers are still manipulating situations in a somewhat unrealistic way.  I originally started this assignment with the idea of discussing Super Size Me, which I just re-watched via the wonder that is Netflix.  However, I saw Waiting for Superman this weekend at the Uptown theater with a friend (who is not in the education field) and I am changing my mind.

Waiting for Superman is a very directly vocal film arguing the dire state of the public school system, specifically students who are underserved due to race and socio-economic status.  I am struggling to decide on who the intended audience really is.  I feel that much of the message is directed towards the white, middle to upper class audience and impede a sense of guilt in them at the terrible state of the public school system in which we subject children (specifically poor children of diversity) to every day.  The film gets this point across by employing heart-breaking scenes in which African-American and Hispanic students beg, “I just want to go to school”.  Bias, in this film, comes in the form of showing the hero status that lies within charter schools.  Every mention of a charter school shows the positive aspects of them and how they are saving our poor, disadvantaged children in poor, disadvantaged neighborhoods.  As a viewer, as well as a future educator, I admit that I am not biased in my feelings, opinions, and emotions that I brought to watch the movie.  I am personally adamant and passionate about teaching in an urban, inner-city setting where the achievement gap is practically palpable.  I admit that I am not experienced enough in the realm or professional career of education to have a solid stance on whether charter schools or better (or in that sense, worse) than public schools.  Yet, I was touched, none-the-less, by the inability for many children in America to receive excellent education and motivated to be a person, in the very near future, instigating change.

    For a teaching activity, I think it would be very interesting to show students some documentaries (such as Super Size Me or Waiting for Superman) and have them notice the techniques and strategies used in documentaries that are advertising the “truth”, but are obviously very strongly arguing one side of a debate.  From there, I would have them choose a topic that is important in their lives.  This could be as simple as “What is better: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or tuna?”.  The goal would just be to come up with a debate that they can choose to “find the truth”.  I feel, for students, it may be easier to have them pick a debate which is somewhat black and white, and where there can be clear sides to portray in a documentary.  From there, if the school I am in has the equipment, I would have them make a five-minute documentary.  The requirements could be one minute of self-interview or voice-overs, two minutes of interviewing other people, and then two minutes documenting “reality” and the life in which their debate takes place (so, in the peanut butter and jelly scenario, they could have two minutes of footage in the cafeteria).  If the school does not have the equipment to film this, students could draw a storyboard of how they would develop and create their documentary. The activity could be graded on employing the techniques viewed in the other documentaries, such as bias and ways to convince the audience of which side of the debate is wrong and right.