Filmmakers “theories” – Kim Longinotto

Longinotto hates the expression ‘fly on the wall’ as it maker her feel as if a filmmaker is a non-feeling person that just observes coldly, preferring it when people in her films acknowledge her in scenes as then its like a play within a play as the people are speaking to her but also directly speaking to the audience too in order to cause a visible in take of breath on their part. People are sometimes aware of the cameras presence in her films and move in and out of this awareness such as when the woman is trying to get a divorce from her abusive husband, the men sitting across from her taunt her and ask explicit details about their sexual relationship, however after she gets a divorce, they state that they are happy for her, attempting to appeal to the audience when the camera is watching them as if they were on her side all along. This gives audiences the impression that these people must have been aware they were filming throughout the course of the film and yet when you look closely, when they are locked in an feisty argument of tradition vs change as the woman fights against social norms, their attitudes are a more realistic representation of themselves as they have forgotten about the camera.

Longinotto chooses not to use narration a lot in her films as observational filmmaking can be so much easier as all you need be is alert and receptive, working out what your filming and how to get a story with a beginning, middle and end. On occasion she will resort to using narration rather than observational as it can help to interpret scenarios differently, providing context for events passed that are being reflected upon. She believes that narration, instead of telling you what to think, gives you layers so that every person can give you their layer and the audience can form a reasonable conclusion from what the have heard.

Why does Longinotto make documentaries in the observational mode?

She believes that we make films based on the types of people we are and so the style she adopted came automatically to her as she feels uncomfortable asking people to do things so she likes to make films as if she making them with the people and they are carrying on with their normal routine whilst she is carrying on with her own life.

Her main approach to her style of filmmaking is to make the people in her film feel that its their film as well as hers so that they can feel that they have complete control of their own stories without manipulation.

Why are women the main focus of her films?

She describes women and girls who have stood up to society and some part of society that has all the power as ‘survivors’ and ‘rebels’, women fighting for their rights. Her objective is to create a different mentality in our culture and a lot of other cultures about mindset towards certain groups of people. She recognises that her films are not created to change the law but hopes that people that watch the pain inflicted on the lives of others will take something away from the film and do something for your own life, viewing the people in the film as similar to those that you know in your personal life, making the audience want to change it because of what has been presented to you, not to instruct the audience but instead to see the world differently and change as people.

She chooses not to think about the impact that a film will have on her audience whilst filming, thinking instead about the editing process so that she can get a scene where there can be a cut to something else and then a cut back to create a coherent structure. Her main concern is with the production and pre-production process as she admits that she can never really know what the impact of a film is, with her only desire being to allow the audience the possibility of change for the better, trying to unglamourize things that appeal to children and spread awareness about real life people and their stories and experiences.

She often focuses on communities from around the world that aren’t often as looked into, looking at the harsh ways in which people are exploited from child abuse to rape.

Kim Longinotto is a documentary filmmaker who is well known for featuring themes of female oppression and discrimination, with a style of filmmaking that allows her to focus on the lives of those who have have been exploited and without rights, constructing an argument based on the harsh personal experiences shared on screen. Following Bill Nichols’ six modes of documentary, Longinottos style of filmmaking fits into the observational mode, where everyday life is shown on screen without seeing the director.

Longinotto uses aspects of cinema verite in sisters in law such as the several court scenes that depict the trials of men and women for abusing someone elses rights, for example physical and sexual abuse. This is done in order to show the audience the oppression and discrimination against women and combines this technique with linginootos favoured style of observational filmmaking to show real conversations without interrupting the people in the scene to get a realistic depiction of peoples lives.

Longinotto’s filmmaking style also could be shown as Observational Documentary filmmaking if using the six modes of documentary defined by Bill Nichols. Observational Documentaries aim to show everyday life without the interference of the director.