Bearing Witness: The Art of Telling Difficult Stories

Abstract

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.