Through the critical and in-depth investigation of the production of my feature documentary film Father Joe and the Bangkok Slaughterhouse (2008–2019), and the short film Through the Eyes of Children (2008–2019), this exegesis explores the roles that trust, morals, and ethics play in negotiations between a documentary filmmaker and their subject in regard to the subject’s on-screen representation. It further investigates how these factors, in turn, inculcate the theme, content, and outcome of documentaries.
Through the Eyes of Children, filmed in Bangkok and Australia, is a thirteen minute film commissioned by Little Dot Studios, UK, and is to be considered as one of my key creative outputs as well as a proof-of-concept film for the longer feature documentary. The film is also part of the ten-year process of filming in and around the Mercy Centre and the slums of Bangkok. The feature documentary film, Father Joe and the Bangkok Slaughterhouse, although 75% shot, has not yet been completed. The process of attempting to produce this film constitutes a significant part of my research and reflection. Other key creative outputs include rough cut video clips, trailers and promos. The script/treatment written for this project is also part of my final creative output (see Appendix 1).
In my view, the ever-increasing growth and insatiable appetite for confronting and sensationalised media content has arguably resulted in an exponential rise in more ethically critical material. Therefore, I believe it is timely to reflect on how documentary filmmakers are representing this material and the subjects involved. A lack of ethical awareness on the part of a documentary filmmaker can have significant and disastrous implications, such as a subject withdrawing from the project or taking legal action following the distribution of the film. The balance of power between the filmmaker and subject is complex and, in my case, has been evolving for over ten years. This longevity has reinforced and consolidated the relationship between my subject (Father Joe Maier) and I, creating a strong creative and symbiotic bond that has eased the filmmaking process and alleviated certain anxieties. The depiction of influential and iconic subjects can often lead to miscommunication, power struggles, and escalating conflict. In this exegesis, I investigate ways in which these problems can be avoided and resolved. Recognising and managing anxiety for both subject and filmmaker reduces possible situations of misunderstanding and potentially harmful consequences.
Some of the questions that I reflect upon in this exegesis are: What roles do trust and friendship play in the process of establishing the filmmaker–subject relationship? How can tensions and anxieties between creative freedom and editorial control be best managed? What parameters are at a filmmaker’s disposal to avoid legal disputes? How do filmmakers reconcile moral and ethical decisions in the disclosure of confidential and sensitive information? How does the perception of power influence the creative and cultural decisions of the filmmaker? And, in my case, how do I transform from being a white ‘farang’ outsider in a Thai slum to having inner sanctum ‘insider’ status while maintaining an objective perspective?