MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 3, 2023: SUBJECT
True crime podcasts, “murder shows,” and documentary films that expose the darker side of humanity have never been more popular — and there’s no denying they can be fun to listen to and watch. But what happens to the interviewees when the cameras stop rolling? What do the real-life people featured in documentaries give up when they agree to be filmed? The ethics of documentary filmmaking are at the heart of Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall’s fascinating, thought-provoking Subject.
The folks who were behind and in front of the camera for landmark documentary films like The Staircase, Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack, and Capturing the Friedmans speak with Tiexiera and Hall at length, sharing the impact that being part of these zeitgeist-capturing movies had on their lives. For every sold-out Sundance screening, there’s the pain of seeing your family’s most intimate moments play out on screen, again and again, for other people’s entertainment. And for every opportunity that might come from having your story told, there’s the knowledge that someone else now has control of how that story is told.
It’s impossible not to feel empathy for the daughters of Michael Peterson, the murder suspect at center of The Staircase, when they talk about how they didn’t realize what being part of the film would mean for them. Or for Susanne Angulo, whose de facto captivity by an abusive husband led to The Wolfpack‘s stranger-than-fiction true story of her children’s ultra-sheltered upbringing. Or for Jesse Friedman, who never sought the spotlight but hasn’t been able to avoid it since the debut of Capturing the Friedmans. “A person is a person,” filmmaker Daresha Kyi reminds us, and everyone featured in these films is — and has always been — a real person, not merely a “subject.”
As Subject plays out, filmmakers and other experts — including mental health professionals — examine everything from whether paying the people who appear in documentaries compromises a film’s objectivity to the responsibility storytellers bear for their subjects’ long-term well-being. And accompanying it all is captivating footage from the award-winning films Subjects is revisiting, reminding us all over again why the stories they told grabbed our attention in the first place. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Loren King The ironic title “Subject” is so apt since this fascinating documentary isn’t so much about documentaries as their effect on the people so central to them. Unspooling an array of memorable documentaries from over the years, the film delivers an insightful look at how lives were upended (“The Staircase”); enhanced (“Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack”) or a bit of both (Capturing the Friedmans). Eschewing the directors of these films, we hear directly from the film “subjects” about the documentary process and, most importantly, its aftermath. This film raises many important issues about ethics, exploitation and who gets to tell whose story. But in the end it’s just plain compelling— as a great documentary should be.
Pam Grady:There is a built-in irony in this provocative documentary. Its subject, as the title so baldly states, is the subjects of documentaries and how these films continue to impact their lives long after the circus of filmmaking has moved on and a curious public has had an intimate glimpse into their lives. The doc is a fascinating film, creating more questions about the ethics of documentary filmmaking even as it attempts to find answers to one of documentary makers’ most basic quandaries and becoming part of that ethical argument itself. Read full review.
Nell Minow: Subject is a thoughtful exploration of the ethics of telling other people’s stories. These are issues as old as documentaries themselves, going back to 1922 and Nanook of the North. But the explosion of new documentaries, made possible in part by technology available to everyone and accessible in part because of their popularity on streaming services, makes those issues more urgent and more complicated. A documentary can lead to important changes, even getting wrongly accused people out of prison or new legislation. But it can also make its subjects feel exposed and abused, especially those who were young and vulnerable when the film was made. Should the subjects be paid? There are good arguments on both sides. Should the filmmakers and their subjects have therapists to guide them through? What should filmmakers do when what is best for the film is not what is best for the subject? This film will help documentarians make better films and audiences watch documentaries with more insight. Read full review.
Leslie Combemale There are certainly a number of issues and considerations I have thought about since I began my journey as film critic and journalist, but plenty I hadn’t thought of that the film Subject brings to light and discusses. It makes absolute sense, for example, that there should be therapists as part of every documentary in which trauma or triggering personal experiences are profiled, and should become as essential as intimacy coordinators in narratives with portrayals of sexual situations have become. From my perspective as film critic, is seems there are more documentaries being released than ever before, allowing for more diverse voices. However, Subject shows that the economic war, the one in which big businesses like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are shaping the human experience, has bled into documentary filmmaking, and the stories we see, in very dangerous ways.
Jennifer Merin Subject is a compelling documentary that delves into the ethics of documentary filmmaking. Directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall compile in depth on camera interviews with the subjects of lauded documentaries to trace the impact that public display of their remarkable stories has had on their lives. They also interview leading documentarians, including Sam Pollard, Evgeny Afineevsky and Davis Guggenheim, among others, as well as leading documentary funders and festival programmers about filmmaker responsibilities towards their subjects. No fingers are pointed per se, but we are made aware of the negative impact that ‘starring’ in a documentary can have on a ‘subject’s’ life.
Documentary genres and formats covered by the nonfiction filmmaking umbrella include sensational true crime series, celebrity biodocs, a wide range of ostensible exposes and homemade advocacy videos uploaded to YouTube. There is a proliferation of nonfiction filmmaking increasingly available and popular as viewing for movie lovers. This documentary is timely. We, as critics, have concerns and strong opinions about all issues pertaining to authenticity and exploitation in documentary filmmaking. Subject not only very smartly and effectively presents diverse opinions from within the industry, but also gives you an opportunity to reflect on your own views concerning authenticity and the possibility of subjecting documentary subjects to unacceptable exploitation.
Sandie Angulo Chen: In Subject, filmmakers Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall make a case for the idea that documentarians have a responsibility to the subjects of their films to ensure they fully consent and have support for the emotional, physical, political, financial, and social impact of their participation. The documentarians thoughtfully interview protagonists or supporting “characters” from famous, award-winning documentaries such as Hoop Dreams (Arthur Agee), The Wolfpack (Mukunda Angulo), The Staircase (Margaret Ratliff), The Square (Ahmed Hassan), and Capturing the Friedmans (Jesse Friedman), to discuss how the documentary changed their lives — for better or worse. The filmmakers also interview other documentarians (Davis Guggenheim, Kirsten Johnson, Sam Pollard, Joe Brewster, Michele Stephenson, Evgeny Afineevsky, Bing Liu) as well as critics, producers, and therapists to give their take on the growing call for ethical documentary filmmaking amid the growing commercialization of the genre thanks to streaming services. A fascinating and important documentary about ethical, moral, and financial questions about the narrative nonfiction filmmaking process.
Nikki Fowler: Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall shed light on a subject that could easily slip by our radar: the impact of documentaries and their ability to trend. With sensational voyeuristic fascination, the masses consume this fly on the wall world of real life through docuseries and films, But viewers are not aware that the documentary subjects are sometimes unsuspecting victims to exploitation — whether it’s whether unintentional or calculated. Read full review.
Liz Whittemore Subject highlights the fuzzy line between fame and infamy and the moral integrity of filmmakers behind the lens. The impact on each film’s protagonist varies widely. Arthur Agee, the center of Hoop Dreams, defends his experience working with white filmmakers Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, explaining the positive impact on his entire family. The Angulo family from The Wolfpack speaks to the validation of someone finally seeing them. In their case, the film saved them. Michael Peterson’s daughter, Margaret Ratliff, from The Staircase, discusses the ongoing emotional trauma of participating primarily against her will. Pay-for-play is a tricky topic. Subjects and filmmakers debate the morality of paying the participants for their stories. Then, the impact of corporate media streamers cranking out content pulled from the headlines. Where do filmmakers draw the line in the relationship between their subject and what their storytelling intent is, whether conscious or not? What is the truth? SUBJECT is a fearless dive into documentary filmmaking and all its complexities. It is undeniably captivating.
Cate Marquis Subject is a documentary about documentaries, but focused less on the filmmakers than on the subjects of their films. A documentary about documentary subjects, as one subject says with a laugh, Subject takes a look at the ethics of documentary filmmaking, and particularly at what happens after the film is released. Read full review.
TRAILER
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Subject
Directors: Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall
Release Date: November 3, 2023 (limited)
Running Time: 97 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriters: Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall (documentary)
Distribution Company:
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Jamie Broadnax, Leslie Combemale, Nikki Fowler, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
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Edited by Jennifer Merin
