Ch Ch Ch Changes

Can a documentary bring social changes? At the end of Michael Moore's film; Capitalism a Love Story, (2009) Moore pleads with the viewer to get up and do something, because he can't chase companies and politicians around forever trying to bring social and economic change. Twenty years after his first film Roger and Me (1989), this appeal suggests that as provocative and subjective as his films have been over the last two decades, the changes that Moore longs for have never materialised.

Recently however, a MORI poll has suggested that some films can change peoples attitudes to how they live their lives and the produce they buy. Rupert Murray's 2007 film The End of the Line focused on the depletion of global fish stocks. Since its theatrical release the film has enjoyed secondary success with television airings and a popular trailer and affiliated consumer advice sites online. MORI suggest that consumer dedication to buying sustainable fish had doubled since the films release and that although the viewing figures are modest, over 4.7 million adults in the UK are aware of the film. (the full article can be found here) Although this might not be world changing, it is interesting to see how effective films can be in bringing change.

Lake of Fire (2006)

Until watching this film I had never really given the subject matter much thought. I have never had too, rarely did it appear in religious studies at catholic high school. I have known for some time that there is intense discourse surrounding the subject of abortion. The argument of pro life and pro choice is intertwined throughout American life, not just in churches, but in politics, in the streets and the clinics too. Tony Kaye's film Lake of Fire sets out to outline both opposing arguments surrounding the life of an unborn child and whether or not it is morally and even legally right to have an abortion.

Kaye's aesthetic and his films pace are magnificently executed to engross the viewer into such a compelling argument. Prior to watching this film I had my own opinions on this evocative subject, however Lake of Fire sends the viewer on such a informative roller coaster that one will evaluate and re evaluate opinions over and over again. Some arguments both for and against are masterfully constructed, and then again some are just outlandish. Kaye remains subjective throughout the film and it works so much better for it. Lake of Fire simply makes the viewer think about something, without spin or bias. Critical discussions and arguments in such subjects is rare, but is so desperately needed.

Save Me

We have recently re edited the short documentary film Save Me and entered it in the Oxford Film Festival 2011 for some potential exposure. Any genre of short film could be entered providing it was under 6 minutes. Hopefully the film will be chosen!

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

It has always been an ambition of mine to create a music documentary, and one of the best of recent years must be Jeff Feuerzeig's 2005 film the Devil and Daniel Johnston. Early on in the film Feuerzeig uses family archive footage to great effect as it really portrays Johnston's adolescent personality as a massively creative person. The film describes how essentially the behaviour of Daniel throughout his life has ensured that he will forever be a intriguing figure and whose truths and facts are blurred with fiction and myth. The late introduction of Daniel himself also seemingly sets him up as myth, as the audience begins to question doubt if the main character will appear at all.

As a music documentary this film works brilliantly. Johnston is what I want in a character. Yes there is myth around his life, but the story is brilliantly executed. It is a story about a person, with problems, who is a incredible musician. Its fascinating.

Lindow Man

Here is the draft edit for the Lindow Man project. I have mentioned this film in previous posts, but to recap it is basically a film to accompany a piece of music composed by the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. This video here is unfinished mainly because it need some fine editing to adjust colour levels. We are also hoping to include text from a poem by Seamus Heaney entitled Tollund Man which can be found here. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Untitled from Adam Mulcahy on Vimeo.

Malham

As part of the project to create a film for a piece of specially composed music, I had the idea to visit Malham in North Yorkshire for its impressive scenery. Malham is famous for its limestone geology creating massive cliff faces and cutaways in the landscape. The concept of the film is that of history. The music was influenced by the Lindow man, a preserved body found in the peat bog of Lindow Common. This made me think about how the history of man is insignificant when compared to the history of the earth. Yet occasionally the two are linked. Malham and Gordale Scar seen in the photograph are the result of earth's history eroding and changing the landscape through the ages. Such changes are rarely witnessed by man, but the same force of water that has huge effects on the limestone has very different effects on the peat. Over thousands of years it does not erode or decay but preserves, and ultimately it is man who has the most detrimental effect on both landscapes in an insignificant time.