- Steyerl talks about how the “unbroken belief” of the documentary form is challenged. What does Steyerl mean by this? Certain movies and films are based on a true story. How does truth inform the fiction? How might fiction inform the truth?
By this, Steyerl means that the original meaning of documentary films has been shifted to mean something entirely different. Essentially, documentaries no longer capture the actions or events that take place, and instead focus on the feelings and emotions of the film maker at the time. This is useful because films are re-creating events that happened in a way that is not entirely accurate, yet still captures the feelings of the moment. This creates an “uncertainty” which has the effect of making viewers believe that what is being shown to be even more true.
- What is the significance of the authenticity and representation of the truth in the media that you consume on a daily basis? What is the role of a live broadcast?
The media we consume on a daily basis is never wholly authentic. According to Steyerl, “content can correspond to reality, but it doesn’t have to” meaning that images reveal their own truth, but not the entire truth. We always have to understand that the news and media we consume is told from a perspective that is biased. A live broadcast attempts to relieve those biases. There’s no room for editing or altering the footage, it just happens as it is. However, live broadcasts, as referenced at the beginning of the article, are still told from the filmer’s perspective.