Documentary Portfolio

Post One: Response to 'The Archive' (D: Dean Dunne)

Key Themes and Focus:

This story is a very personal and human one. The key themes, I believe, are human obsession, passion and dedication to a personal plight. The focus of the documentary is on Paul, a record collector of extreme proportions and how, due to modern advancements in technology, his collection is becoming increasingly obsolete.

Approach Taken by Film Maker:

This story is as much about Paul as a person as it is about his impressive collection, therefore the bulk of the documentary is made up of interviews of him, along with supporting interviews of his wife and cutaways of the collection itself. I believe the film maker wanted to show the resilience of human spirit and the ability to remain passionate about something even when all hope seems lost. This results in the tale being one of pride and sadness, in equal measure. 

Thoughts on the Film:

I really enjoyed the film, on account of the way it dealt with the topic of dedication and the bitter-sweet nostalgia that comes with a story like Paul's. The film makers were successful, especially in the way that they built a strong story arc in such a short amount of time. There was an introduction, a somewhat chronological account of Paul's history, and an emotive, thought provoking conclusion. This is something I really feel I want to incorporate into my own work when it comes to making documentary.

Techniques:

Something that stood out to me was that to break up the interviews, the film makers had Paul talk a little bit about individual records and why they are special. This adds nothing to the overall story,  but in terms of building a stronger sense of Paul's character, it worked exceptionally well. The cutaway shots were a great way of breaking up the dialogue visually. One technique I feel added to the themes and focus of the film was the shot of Paul listening to one of his favourite records on a player, and simply listening, reminiscent. This was an effective way of showing the nostalgia and personal pride he takes in his collection.