The Mighty Redcar

1. The Mighty Redcar
1. Can a documentary be objective? Why do you believe this?
I think a documentary can be objective. Objective is defined as means based on fact
rather than on feelings and opinions. Subjective is defined as based on feelings and
opinions rather than facts. I believe that a successful documentary would be a
objective documentary because you would need to have accurate facts because a
documentary is a film/television/radio programme that provides a factual report on a
particular subject. I think the documentary of the Mighty Redcar shows a factual
report but it also offers all sides a voice (James, James’s mentor (Ray) and the
council worker who helped James). Some people could argue that all documentaries
are subjective, since a filmmaker would have to make the editorial choices that are
going to the show the audience what the director wants them to see.
2. How far should we accept what we watch/read? Why?
I think to a certain extent that we should accept what we watch and read. I think most of
the time when you see things on Facebook they might not be the truth. I think it also
depends on the resource. I think sometimes if you read a book and it has a bibliography
or interviews I would accept this resource. With the Mighty Redcar because it has a voice
over, like many documentaries, but where the documentary was filmed the voice over
has that action. It is mainly interviews or talking head shots, this makes me believe that it
is very accurate.
3. How can we make sure what a documentary presents as fact, is true?
Research- Research is this best way to find out that something is true, this may not be
convenient at the time but it gives you an accurate answer. However, some facts which
you hear which would be common sense in a documentary. It also depends on who is
narrating the documentary. With the documentary Mighty Redcar, it has a 17-year-old
student narrates the documentary, this makes me feel that the representation of Redcar
was accurate.