There are many intimate moments within the documentary, such as the funeral of one of the subjects that had passed due to the abuse of alcohol. By the time she married at 18 she was a serious drinker - the marriage didn't last, nor did a succession of jobs despite her being able to speak at least two other languages. I think theyre happy for the attention, to have someone to listen. Watsons past experience in using the observational documentary style in his films means that he is well adjusted to the style. Outside, the sparrows on the roof Are chirping in the dripping rain.Rain in my heart; rain on the roof; And memory sleeps beneath the gray And the windless sky and brings no dreams Of any well remembered day. An example of this is when Paul W asked Vanda whether she was telling the truth about being abused as a child. he felt that to put this material in the same documentary as his musings about the problems of getting the film made seemed glib and inappropriate. (http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument). I think that Watson when immersed with these subjects he formed a friendship with, learning to really like some of them and he himself tries to stop some of his subjects from drinking because he wants to see the best happen for them. Their addiction affected them not only when they were drunk, but physically as well as mentally, when they were sober too. The veins in her legs have contracted because of alcohol, making walking difficult. (LogOut/ This shows how relationships are built up when filmmaking and how subjects and even the interviewer forms attachments. This powerful documentary from fly-on-the-wall pioneer Paul Watson provides a raw account of four alcohol abusers from the impoverished Medway towns of north Kent. I would not have the heavens fair, Posts; 4,539. And I think shots show the photographer and the really things that Watson suffered rise the trustiness of this documentary. One example from the documentary which I felt that could have made some people to view as Watson exploiting his subjects would be when one of his subject revealed (when she was highly intoxicated) that she had been sexually abused by her father. Alluding to the culture of exploitning woman, as well as Spielbergs film being a commercial (and one which ends with a very colourful, affirming ending) intent makes it a machine absording actresses and horrors for the output of satisfying drama. Because the participants in the film are always in a very fragile state because of their problems, it makes the audience question can they actually give valid consent? At this weeks lecture, the first slide read Documentary is most creditable when it comes as close as possible to the experience of someone actually there. This is also made clear later in the film when he spends some time filming at one of the female patients, Vandas house. Alcoholism is a very sensitive subject for some and as a viewer I felt he was exploiting his subjects; to a certain extent. Also, i think observation style makes audience to get more shock by the scene without explanation. For Watson asks: What would you class as an alcoholic? Toni replies: Someone who cant go a day without a drink. Once this is said, Watson slowly zooms in on her face and responds: but you told me there are days where you cant go a day without a drink. Watsons response to Tonis statement could be stated as being overly dramatic for the audiences benefit, therefore, compiling with Ellis and most documentary critics argument that the director is always more concerned with how the potential audience will perceive the subject and story than the subject themselves. Therefore, Watsons approach definitely satisfied me with how delicately he treats the patients and clearly recognizes his role as filmmaker. Twenty-nine-year-old Mark consumes two bottles of vodka per day. On the one hand, Paul Watson did get these peoples consent to be filmed. However, in my opinion, after he knocks over Vandas drink and clears it up for her, he says the phrase I had put so much money on you. Although this had a huge dramatic effect upon the viewer and it allowed the viewer to analyse the particular situation multiple times, I felt that Paul Watson was portraying them as if they were less in control of what they were saying, almost as if they were crazy. At one point it says: This type of documentary is not the best way to explain or explore alcoholisms origins. Watson intrudes on his film, importantly (and rather unromantically, when we consider the idea of immersive movie magic) shows him forging all the social contracts with his subjects at the start. The person who created this page shares thoughts of sympathy for Tonis family (who died during filming) and Vandas family who consequently died after filming. Paul Watson has a lot to answer for (The Family probably started the reality trend) but Rain in my Heart made up for a lot. Overall were the subjects happy to be on film? However to me I felt that this is in some sense of vital information that we needed as viewers to understand and try to identify and sympathize with the reasons to why this person relies on alcohol. When he asked Toni to call and talk to his family, for example. In making Rain in my Heart I would need to film people with troubled psyches; people within which gremlins and monsters lurk producing psychological pain and miseries, miseries that often push them to self-harm. During the documentary, Mark (one of Watsons subjects, aged 29) states that he agreed to do filming for Paul to show people why they should not drink alcohol. How could you go, my love Without a thought However I feel this issue raised WAS ethical as after Vanda gave him that information, he explicitly asked her to again give him consent the morning after that occurred so that she could give consent when she wasnt drunk. As for Nigel, it can be said that he was exploited less than others, because his wife was constantly present, therefore she could control the actions of the filmmakers. This attempt to confront the ethical problem of documentary-making did not satisfy me as I couldnt help but feel that Watsons display of concern was more addressing the potential accusations of the audience rather than the problem itself. I realised after I posted this! Watson is not overly invasive at any point, and if anything my only criticism would be that he sometimes gives too much insight into how he feels about what is happening during filming, which I find unnecessary. Or when Nigel downs a glass of red wine. He says My job is to explain, not entertain. Watson states from the very beginning of the film that he is working with the only four patients who have agreed my intrusions and me filming their hell. Although, there are several moments when this filmmaker and subject relationship is close to breach, he retains his role of confidentiality and recognizes that the subject may not be too sober to make such ethical decisions of what they would like in the final cut or not. Although it could be argued that this footage is showing Vanda what she is like when she is drunk, I would say that her answers might have been different if she was sober when she was asked them. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7140605.stm. The subject was in a particularly vulnerable state and he took advantage of that and filmed her confession. However, what I think strongly outweighs this are the positive effects of the film in terms of education. He witnessed some horrific scenes throughout filming and only once (that I can recall) did he step in to hand Mark a sick bucket and express disappointment to Venda for her choosing to buy a bottle of vodka. Thats exactly what I think about the film: it is extreme and crude in some scenes but this cannot be translated as exploitation but as accurate and careful explanation and evidence of a serious phenomenon such as alcoholism. It is true that there are not many cut ins of his own questioning however Watson thought it be inappropriate to constantly show his own personal struggles when his subjects are undergoing way more traumatic psychological illnesses. Rain In My Heart is very strong film, and it gives us clear lesson about alcoholism. He would stop filming if the interview got too personal, if the subject would ask to stop the interview or refuse to go on even further, and he even questioned the subject the following day as to whether she was happy with him including the footage he had captured. The consent was given while the participants were fully aware of what they were agreeing to, which makes it difficult to accuse Paul Watson of having really exploited his subjects. A good example of his moral doubts is when he asks himself Am I an ambulance chaser? and is a clear way of showing how documentary makers may react with barely contained glee when they get material of extreme situation that can make good TV This can be seen when Watson is speaking to Toni about her addiction, something that Toni profusely denies she is. He pressed forward with the interview and filmming in the crual moment such as his subject vomitted and had a hard time with pain. Nigel, 49, has been dry for ten years, but the damage he has inflicted on his liver is irreversible. Watson observes the subjects but chooses not to intervene but to simply probe the subjects including their families. There are so many implicit positives such as the awareness it gives people of the truth about alcoholism, its broadcasting the problems in society like a fresh scar, so audiences cant ignore or forget what they have learnt. This film must encounter with some ethics problems and Pauls observational style should instigated arguments. (2006). Are you satisfied by his attempts within the film to deal with such accusations? However, it doesnt necessaily mean it is totally a bad thing. At no point during the documentary did I feel that the filmmaker was exploiting the subjects, the recording of what can be described as personal and intimate situations felt more like a significant necessity with moral intentions towards bringing awareness towards the seriousness of the consumption of alcohol. Even all knows that subjects were vulnerale and needed a help. This was mostly due to the fact that obviously he was filming people with huge vulnerability in their lives, therefore he was careful not to portray the situation as taking advantage of. All Watsons subjects agreed to being filmed whilst they were drunk before the filming commenced, and so the question is not should Watson have kept filming?, but rather should Watson have included that part of the footage?. Two of the participants in Paul Watson's Rain in My Heart died during filming. The edit involves numerous repeats of dialogue from the patients, which is played at random and juxtaposing episodes, some even without the visuals which make it seem part of the dialogue (for example, when Vanda slams the phone down in anger). Another point worth making is that every person has a different view of whats going too far. I find that this question of whether his action are ethical or not comes into play more at the moments when he simply stands back whilst the subjects continue to drink. To this statement Vanda agrees and understands the relationship between the two of them. So I didnt think that he has exploited his subject at all as this is what we as viewers needed to see. A prime example of exploitation was the most vulnerable and interesting subject-Vanda. After all, I am satisfied by what Watson did to deal with accusations. He had been in a coma for weeks after his intended sacrifice and showed no sign of waking up. I feel like Rain in My Heart must be a controversial documentray in terms of how dealing with the ethics in this film. The attempts to deal with these accusations are unsatisfactory as the unethical conduct exhibited in this film were necessary for the desired effect. I do agree he is explaining in a graphic way the torment of being addicted to alcohol and the consequences that excessive drinking does to ones body. Before i didnt know that alcoholism could lead to such a terrifying state and even death. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. That we cant see others be in such a position because we wouldnt want ourselves to be shown in such a state. 2 . Check out our rain in my heart selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Another was "drinking less" but needed a Zimmer frame with which to walk; she's 43. Sign-in or Try it free for 3 months. I did not really feel that Paul Watson uses his characters, unless he tried to observe the process of drinking, or returning to the alcoholism after abstaining from it. In my opinion, this exploited them as the repetition was giving them a personality that they do not possess and is therefore, a form of misrepresentation. I think it is not proper for observational documentary, Watson deliberately shows his audience of certain moments to lead them into a certain emotion, which i think might be too subjective. It serves its purpose of portraying the realities of alcoholism, and at times may seem harsh, but in doing so creates an ugly truth that otherwise wouldnt be seen. I feel as though Watson was trying to be as ethical as possible, baring in mind his need to capture this shocking footage in order to create the Documentary. On the other hand, he showed the subjects at their worst, but almost continuously. 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