As the director said himself My job is to explain, not entertain. In the moment where Vanda passes out from over drinking, and we see Watson check her pulse, to me I felt as if he was concerned, he didnt sit back and observe her in a blackened out state, he checked on her, he was her responsibility at that moment. Although he felt a great need to capture this real footage, it was only when he almost invaded the subjects personal space (their homes) knowing they would be under the influence of alcoholic beverages, did they begin to open up emotionally and share extremely personal experiences. In one scene we hear Watson as whether or not the information he is receiving from one of the subjects would be appropriate to include in the finished product. An example being Vanda and the way he gets to know her and in the end explores her painful past. Moreover, one can say that the subjects were exploited not only in the aforementioned scenes, but generally throughout the film. Rain is a natural phenomenon that has extreme importance in human society. Sometimes grief feels very isolating. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks viewing, I felt that it was very informative and educational to those who dont have much knowledge about alcoholism. There are a few scenes that stand out as being the most exploitative. I think that Watson when immersed with these subjects he formed a friendship with, learning to really like some of them and he himself tries to stop some of his subjects from drinking because he wants to see the best happen for them. Comments KNWYRRTS says He is exploiting Nigel as he was only continuing to cover the story because he thinks that he will benefit out of it, when the focus should really be concentrating on capturing the truth and reality of the situation, therefore I believe that Paul Watson was exploiting his subjects in this documentary. Mr. Stark was okay, although he still had scars from the snap. I want to quickly point out that, I didnt like the parts in the film where he became the self-reflexive type and centered the documentary on his own emotional state. Paul Watsons attempt to defend himself and his arguments against the accusations do make sense. In life, many people depend on rain for their livelihood and more. I thought Rain In My Heart was a good example of a film that provokes thought about the ethical role of documentary makers. For before the revealing of the alcohol, Watson greets Vanda by pecking her on the mouth and cheek. (LogOut/ The filmmakers aim should essentially be to give a true representation of what they are filming and should present it with no bias to their views or their emotions toward the subject. As he sits and tells the audience his own personal views, this for me, made him seem more human. I remember feeling genuinely scared that some of the subjects were going to die: such as when Mark was at home and was continuing to drink in excess and constantly vomiting. Watsons interference with the subject is, for the most part, kept to a minimum, although the interviews and conversations he has with the subjects comes across as interrogative at times. francescamancini88. The subjects and the families were happy to be filmed and it was unlikely that the film was going to bring more harm than good it was important that he looked at the whole picture and the awareness he could spread with such a film. I think to use the word exploitative to describe the techniques used by Watson to film Rain in my Heart upon his subjects is an unfair judgment. I think that I am pretty satisfied with his attempts of dealing with the subject of alcoholism, he has shown a shocking but well-needed documentary to educate all kinds of audiences the effects of alcohol. Revisiting Rain. On the one hand, Paul Watson did get these peoples consent to be filmed. Overall were the subjects happy to be on film? It is hard to be objective about this film because it is so easily relatable to me, I live equidistant from Medway hospital and Maidstone hospital, and most people avoid Medway because of its reputation. There are certainly points in this film in which I believe that the subjects were exploited. At points during the documentary we can see that Watson is clearly affected by watching the subjects drinking habit, however he does mention that this observational style of filming and the stand back nature of it is much more achievable through separating ones own personal attitudes from the subject. This I feel undermines what his role as a filmmaker is as it shows his intentions for the direction of this documentary. It follows 4 alcoholics from the hospital to their homes. Shop unique custom made Canvas. It may not be a documentary, but to get at what Im thinking, look at this scene Another point in this film is when Paul Watson films a drunk subject who discusses the, monsters in her head, which she previously was not ready to do. I do agree he is explaining in a graphic way the torment of being addicted to alcohol and the consequences that excessive drinking does to ones body. To watch this sequence of Watson, truthfully revealing his professional flaw, for me, was quite humbling. However, that would ruin his fly on the wall style of filmmaking. He is a quite good interviewer, especially in the interaction between him and the characters. It seems much so that Paul Watson is very much clear of his role within his observational style of filmmaking in his documentaries. Watson stated at the very beginning of the film that he would not intervene in the lives of the people he was filming and would not stop them from drinking if they relapsed. There were some scenes in which the people he was filming were obviously out of it and not at all in a healthy condition, physically or mentally. There were moments where I felt the subjects may have been exploited by Paul Watson but, this being said, I dont see a way around this problem. The issue raised here was that Vanda previously refused to tell Watson about her childhood, so only let it out when she was drunk, which one could argue is unethical as she is under the influence of alcohol so she is probably saying things she doesnt want to say. Rain In My Heart by Edgar Lee Masters There is a quiet in my heart Like on who rests from days of pain. Several times in the documentary we see him struggle to make decisions on how he will proceed with the footage he has. Watson himself, in a cut away shot and voiceover reveals to the audience that in that moment he lost his ability to be able to detatch himself from a situation. One ethical issue that could be introduced at this point is how certain filmmakers victimise their subjects. Chapter 1. The veins in her legs have contracted because of alcohol, making walking difficult. This attempt to confront the ethical problem of documentary-making did not satisfy me as I couldnt help but feel that Watsons display of concern was more addressing the potential accusations of the audience rather than the problem itself. I think the problems of ethics in filmmaking cannot be solved. Because I think it break the engagement of the audience. Sometimes during the film I felt like I wanted to intervene in order to stop what the interviewees were struggling with while telling their stories. It was really uncomfortable scene to me, Paul trully showed the seriousness of alcohalism and it must influence to the audience. At one point it says: This type of documentary is not the best way to explain or explore alcoholisms origins. In my opinion, this exploited them as the repetition was giving them a personality that they do not possess and is therefore, a form of misrepresentation. Secondly, Watson must have gone through a pre-planning stage where he would have had to choose the subjects he wished to include, therefore it couldnt have been as completely objective/unbiased as it seemed. Kath now struggles on a severely limited income. She was healing. Print this design in the 3.5 x 5" size. As much as rain can cause happiness, there are times when this phenomenon can cause distress. The decision to include this part of Vandas drunk dialogue is one that is certainly questionable, especially since we are not given evidence as to whether or not she did consent to the inclusion once sober. Posts; 4,539. Trivia Goofs Crazy Credits Quotes Nicole (rain_in_my_heart)'s profile on Myspace, the place where people come to connect, discover, and share. Rain In My Heart is an extremely educational film to watch. The reason for all this was to make people aware about the phenomenon of alcoholism and surely not for attracting more audience. Sign-in or Try it free for 3 months. The subjects had all agreed to be filmed but the thought of switching the camera off and helping must have been fairly strong. Their addiction affected them not only when they were drunk, but physically as well as mentally, when they were sober too. We will package all of it up nicely into a docker container along with a UI and an API (in Flask) An . I didnt expect Rain in my Hearts to emotionally affect me as much as it did, though we were warned. This powerful documentary from fly-on-the-wall pioneer Paul Watson follows four alcohol abusers over the course of a year. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Overall, I believe that it is good to make the public known about situations like these, especially when it can have an impact on your image of alcohol. Perhaps the strong emotional shocked felt from watching it is more to do with fearing our own mortality. Director Paul Watson See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 5 User reviews Won 1 BAFTA Award 2 wins & 1 nomination total Photos Add photo More like this 6.7 Which questioned the showing of Nigel s death (one of the four subjects and one that pat away). During the film one of the subjects Mark says If I am not a advert for not drinking then I dont know what is. This means as subjects they must think the documentary will help. Throughout the documentary there are cut ins of Watson discussing ethical implications during the filming process. In making Rain in my Heart I would need to film people with troubled psyches; people within which gremlins and monsters lurk producing psychological pain and miseries, miseries that often push them to self-harm. Ones initial reaction would be to strip her of the bottle however, Watson remains faithful to his observational aim and instead of forcefully stopping her he simply tells her that he is disappointed in her. No need . Rain In My Heart by Edgar Lee Masters There is a quiet in my heart Like on who rests from days of pain. On Thursday, in a special follow-up film for Newsnight, Paul revisits two of the alcoholics from the film, plus the widow of one of those who died during filming. Change). The film probably brought him a lot of attention (both positive and negative), which means hes profited from filming his subjects problems. However I think that this documentary can appear that way simply because it is so intimate and explicit. A prediction such as this can alter the way she behaves and this documentary is no longer just an observation of her progress. Paul Watson does a good job at creating face and gives the appearance of being genuinely interested and sympathetic so in that way it is easier for us to lower our defensive walls and absorb what the documentary is trying to tell us. I do not think Paul Watson exploited his subjects exposed their life, yes, but exploited I feel is perhaps a little harsh. It would have shown their time off-screen, sitting in a dressing room, preparing themselves to go on-camera, also chatting and gossiping, then being lined up by the assistant director and going through the magic momentthe transformation into character. He later also mentions that one woman, who had been born in a concentration camp, had a complete breakdown while doing that scene.. He just tried to observe that and filmed everything as it is, while they I assume from the very beginning had agreed to be filmed in any state they are. 0. He just shined a light on a topic a lot of people often avoid. The intrusion before we learn of sexual abuse is fitting because it prepares us for the horrible, rather than let the scene with Vanda play out suddenly for shock value. But if some of us dont record it, no one else will learn about it. Obliging by the rules of observational filmmaking, Watson, on the whole, assumes a fly-on-the-wall position and captures the destruction as it unfolds. Rain in My Heart over steps the line between subject and film-maker relationship and Paul Watson in the end exploits his subjects. Log in, Top Life Threatening Health Issues of Alcohol Abuse, Most Common Health Issues of Alcohol Abuse, Mental Instability Caused by Alcohol Abuse, Alcoholics Anonymous | May 11 | DonInLondon | Step 5 Share Your Truth, Fionulla F. AA Speaker Alcoholics Anonymous Speaker, . There were a couple of moments where I felt that he distracted from what we really should have been looking at. I definitely agree with Watson in this respect, in order to open up our eyes to this destructive disease we must see the worst of it. Paul Watson. At first, I believe, Watson had every intention in trying to, in the most effective way possible, try and exploit his subjects. Considering this film brings light to the mental conditions that tend to lead to alcoholism, then was Paul Watson in the right place to accept the consent from these people? he felt that to put this material in the same documentary as his musings about the problems of getting the film made seemed glib and inappropriate. (http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument). WEEK 4 QUESTION:Are there moments when you feel that Paul Watson has exploited his subjects in this film? I believe he does ask himself sincere ethical questions and that he answers them truthfully. As with his other films, Watson established a relationship with the subjects during filming. When he interviews his subjects when they are drunk, the woman speaks of her monster inside, she used to suffer from sexual abusing by her father. No one feels comfortable at the hospital anyway without a camera crew to be there watching your pain and destruction (essentially). This is the only area where I can see possible wrongdoing on Watsons behalf. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. For example, when Vandas temper reaches a certain point and she slams the phone down repetitively, wanting to break it and smash it pieces. Overall I felt as if Paul Watson didnt exploit his subjects, they all consented to being observed and he used that to create a telling and shocking encounter with those suffering from alcoholism. Men's Journal is a rugged and refined lifestyle publication covering the coolest new gear, luxury and adventure travel, food and drink, health and fitness, and more. Here I refer to when he would talk to the viewer/camera about how he felt at certain points of the film it drew away from the importance of what he should have really been filming and instead became self indulgent within the context. Things which have been considered problematic in Watsons Rain In My Heart include: informed consent from his subjects, the argument of whether or not the filmmaker should intervene in the filming process, the appropriateness of certain parts of the film, most notably Nigels funeral and his grieving family, and finally, the relationship between Watson and his subjects. What is interesting about this documentary is that when Paul Watson went to visit Vandas home and saw that she had relapsed, he admitted that he does develop emotional ties to the subjects that he is filming, but that he has the ability to stand back. Join Date; 14th June, 2011. Forum Member. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. By going that extra further he creates a relationship with the subjects. 2 . This is an extremely special place to hunt mule deer and we have an intimate knowledge of the terrain. However, as an observational filmmaker, Watson has a certain obligation to the truth. I feel he mistakes this forced friendliness by asking more and more personal questions as he continues to film her. When researching the film I found a web page (which is a old BBC one). Probably. Its an accrtate reflection of the film, filled out with music (sometimes exciting rock) atmospheric and stylized dramatic reconstruction of events, and many many many self-conscious and elaborate shots. How could you go, my love Without a thought Also when he went to Vandas house and interviewed her, he didnt stop her to drink alcohol. Rain In My Heart is a 2006 documentary about alcoholism. I believe it was not his job to cure the patients, neither was it to encourage them to drink, however his involvement with the hospital and its patients was simply to reveal the complex and brutal causes and effects of alcoholics. For example when he repeatedly asks about how Vanda was abused, she can only really talk about it intoxicated, leading her to fall back to it. Personally, I would much rather watch Robert Winstons documentary series on the human body which ended with the filming of a mans death, from cancer, than go Watsons questionable film techniques. There are some moments that I will have questions against this films moral or ethical problems. The subject was in a particularly vulnerable state and he took advantage of that and filmed her confession. BBC - Rain in My Heart Watch now This powerful documentary from fly-on-the-wall pioneer Paul Watson provides a raw account of four alcohol abusers from the impoverished Medway towns of north. The truth of this film is that it brings attention to parts of life that as a society we tend to stay quiet about and so by being a representation for people who go through something so scary, life changing and threatening it can never appear wholly ethical. If she was lying she wouldnt tell him would she? It is true that his documentary can be judged and considered as an observational one: the filmmaker lets the interviewee talk about his or her problems and express all his or her weaknesses. Critics also believe that the tragic scene of when Nigel dies in front of the camera is too much to be shown to the public eye and that he took full advantage of the emotional situation for his own benefit. On the positive side of the argument I agree that Watson, through the cut away shots he includes throughout the film, allows himself to be more personal with the audience. 5 & quot ; size says: this type of documentary makers importance in human.! 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