Bearing Witness: The Art of Telling Difficult Stories

View/ Open
Author
Primary Supervisor
Trish FitzSimons
Year published
2011
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This exegesis and the accompanying studio work poses the question of whether there
is value in telling difficult stories in the documentary context for the person who has
experienced the difficulties, as well as for those who may subsequently listen to such
stories as viewers. The studio work, a one-hour broadcast documentary, follows a
family for two years after the death of their daughter. The exegesis examines the risks
involved for those who are telling and listening, and also examines the role of the
filmmaker within such contexts. The filmmaker critically reflects on her professional
experiences as a paediatric intensive ...
View more >This exegesis and the accompanying studio work poses the question of whether there is value in telling difficult stories in the documentary context for the person who has experienced the difficulties, as well as for those who may subsequently listen to such stories as viewers. The studio work, a one-hour broadcast documentary, follows a family for two years after the death of their daughter. The exegesis examines the risks involved for those who are telling and listening, and also examines the role of the filmmaker within such contexts. The filmmaker critically reflects on her professional experiences as a paediatric intensive care nurse, examining how these experiences came into play in her role as documentary-maker in the submitted work. The notion that there is value in producing stories that deal with difficult subjects is considered in light of research that looks at individual responses to trauma. New practices in digital and participative storytelling are scrutinised as offering alternative frameworks for difficult storytelling.
View less >
View more >This exegesis and the accompanying studio work poses the question of whether there is value in telling difficult stories in the documentary context for the person who has experienced the difficulties, as well as for those who may subsequently listen to such stories as viewers. The studio work, a one-hour broadcast documentary, follows a family for two years after the death of their daughter. The exegesis examines the risks involved for those who are telling and listening, and also examines the role of the filmmaker within such contexts. The filmmaker critically reflects on her professional experiences as a paediatric intensive care nurse, examining how these experiences came into play in her role as documentary-maker in the submitted work. The notion that there is value in producing stories that deal with difficult subjects is considered in light of research that looks at individual responses to trauma. New practices in digital and participative storytelling are scrutinised as offering alternative frameworks for difficult storytelling.
View less >
Thesis Type
Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Visual Arts (DVA)
School
Griffith Film School
Item Access Status
Public
Note
The 1 hour broadcast documentary is not published here.
Subject
Difficult storytelling