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. Once Watson sees this he is distinctively appalled and shocked that Vanda, after promising in a previous shot that she would fight to stay sober in the future, has gone back on her words and is drunk again. One particular scene is the funeral of Nigel, a man who lost his life due to the addiction. To this statement Vanda agrees and understands the relationship between the two of them. To watch this sequence of Watson, truthfully revealing his professional flaw, for me, was quite humbling. The subject was in a particularly vulnerable state and he took advantage of that and filmed her confession. One ethical issue that could be introduced at this point is how certain filmmakers victimise their subjects. He leads the interviewees go into their deep heart and gradually express their ideas. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Rain In My Heart raises many ethical issues as a documentary yet highlights many health and social issues current in our society. I personally feel as though Watson did not exploit his subjects as they all gave informed consent when they were sober and in hospital, under the supervision of healthcare professionals who could determine whether they were of sound mind, however this issue can be questioned at some points. I felt that already Watson was too close to his subjects to represent them how he originally intended to. Alcohol is used as a coping mechanism, to which Watson openly investigated in particular with Vanda. Chapter 1. White envelopes included. 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. When he asks of her troubled past, he is very interrogative as he continues to ask until she is brought to tears by the discussion of her brothers death, but rather than stop, he pushes on. Although we see Paul telling Vanda that he will ask her later whether he should use this footage in the film, we do not know if he actually did it. Several times in the documentary we see him struggle to make decisions on how he will proceed with the footage he has. Vanda, 43, has been drinking since the age of 12. Twenty-nine-year-old Mark consumes two bottles of vodka per day. Rain In My Heart is a very powerful documentary which gives us all-round access to the issue of alcoholism with a key focus on four of its sufferers. And it tells us a lot; it is educational, eye opening and informative. I felt it did a fantastic job in warning people of the dangers of alcohol and addiction. He puts himself in the film to explain how he felt at the time, allowing the audience to be involved in his own personal emotions whilst watching his film. So all these people dont mind being shown in their most vulnerable state on national TV and even Watson at times ask the subjects if they would like him to turn the camera off. When he asked Toni to call and talk to his family, for example. Even if that wouldve been the case either way, I think as an observer you shouldnt encourage it. However in the documentary there is a shot of him asking Why am I asking you to watch Nigel die? and he then says that Nigels wife, Kath, had wanted it to be shown so that the audience would be made fully aware of the consequences of alcoholism. 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. It seems much so that Paul Watson is very much clear of his role within his observational style of filmmaking in his documentaries. Maybe the subjects are letting Watson film them like this as a message to say this is a life you dont want to live and in saying that does Watsons exploiting of the subjects send a bigger message that in turn may help people going through the same things. However, we can all agree that sometimes happiness is simply taking a walk or dancing in the rain. For example, when Vandas temper reaches a certain point and she slams the phone down repetitively, wanting to break it and smash it pieces. I felt as if Watson was genuine in the fact that he did care, he wanted to see the subjects overcome their problems, in a scene where he is at Vandas house, he stands with her and says although he cant stop Vanda from drinking, he doesnt want to see her do it. After filming Vanda revealing what the monsters in her head were, she states Im a little bit pickled (drunk), to which Paul Watson says Im taking advantage of you. Just finished it and I wonder what happened to Mark and Vanda. This sort of fly-on-the-wall documentaries and even reality tv shows have created are becoming more accepting of intruding on other peoples most intimate and private moments. Another was "drinking less" but needed a Zimmer frame with which to walk; she's 43. Makes a great gift for people who love cats or play the Secret Cat Forest game. 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. However, that would ruin his fly on the wall style of filmmaking. However, it doesnt justify the ignore her drinking even he had a chance to stop her. It may be their escape from their issues, and what I think is also important to keep in mind is that if they are using alcohol for this reason, then it could have easily been any other drug. Rather, this extreme showing of suffering is an eduction, to open the spectators eyes to this disease and its effects. I would have actually preferred for Watson not to comment on screen during the film. I do feel that in a way Paul Watson has exploited all of his subjects in this film. Print this design in the 3.5 x 5" size. However, many critics point out how these subjects are all vulnerable and incapable of really understanding what they are signing themselves up for. The fact that two of participants died during filming is grim testimony to the illness of alcoholism. My DF was a chronic alcoholic (who died after eventually committing suicide) and I grew up with my parents while social circle being people in AA and Al-anon so maybe it was less of a shock to me as I've seen most of this first hand. As Watson edits his film himself he gets to choose what stays in the final cut, therefore raising other ethical issues as he may have only chosen to show the subjects at their worst and in very emotional states. However, from what I saw in the film, Watson does take advantages on his subjects. It was arguably and subtly manipulative how he often said would you like to carry on? as he was probably aware that the answer would be yes due to the state of the interviewees. In Rain in my Heart she is living in a council flat. June 27, 2015 by webadmin Watch on YouTube Watch on Brilliant, unflinching documentary on alcoholism by Kent film maker Paul Watson. Then again, as Watson argues: If some of us dont record it, none of us will know about it.. I can see why he added this into the film but I think it did effect the overall tone and flow of the documentary. The subjects had all agreed to be filmed but the thought of switching the camera off and helping must have been fairly strong. It is clear to me throughout, both when talking to his subjects and when talking to the camera itself that he becomes both emotionally involved and also continuously checks that he is keeping to his promises. One example from the documentary which I felt that could have made some people to view as Watson exploiting his subjects would be when one of his subject revealed (when she was highly intoxicated) that she had been sexually abused by her father. 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. One of the last images we see of Nicole is her hooked up to tubes fighting for her life. The earliest version to survive in the Bible is Mark 's Gospel. However, I dont think you should abuse the power and trust given by the four patients. He just shined a light on a topic a lot of people often avoid. Rain in my Heart was an incredibly touching yet dark documentary about the wide spread issue that is alcoholism, and at points I was touched by the way in which Watson presented his subjects and their problems. 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. 2 . Sometimes grief feels very isolating. When researching the film I found a web page (which is a old BBC one). The card is easy to customize with your wording, font, font color, paper shape options and choice of six paper types. A good example of his moral doubts is when he asks himself Am I an ambulance chaser? and is a clear way of showing how documentary makers may react with barely contained glee when they get material of extreme situation that can make good TV Mark may well have been a grey area and I wasn't sure whether he was so unhappy because of the drink or if he was using the drink because he was unhappy. 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. He had been in a coma for weeks after his intended sacrifice and showed no sign of waking up. 0 . 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, . I realised after I posted this! I think the problems of ethics in filmmaking cannot be solved. One of the patients, a caption told us at the end, was now "in recovery". In all of these I recognise issues which could be perceived as exploitative. The fact he became emotionally involved with such a topic I believe would have helped; it was clear he so wanted them to stay off the alcohol and endure a full recovery. I think that Rain in my Heart was a very interesting documentary to watch and posed many questions about the ethics of documentary filmmaking. From a documentarians point of view, Watson did a remarkable job of exploring the brutality of a taboo subject, but from a moral standpoint, the filmmaker may not have been exploitative in his actions but he was definitely extreme. I can understand how to other viewers, this film may be seen as a breach to ethics within filmmaking, with how Watson gets so close with his vulnerable subjects, however, I feel that Watsons approach is what makes this film such a powerful observation. He says My job is to explain, not entertain. However, there is a clear relationship change when we see Watson come to Vandas house for the first time and through his camera both Watson and we, as the audience spectate that she is noticeably drunk and has brought herself another bottle of vodka. At first, I believe, Watson had every intention in trying to, in the most effective way possible, try and exploit his subjects. Finally, the article posted below discusses Rain in my Heart alongside other documentaries of Paul Watson. Because Paul Watson deliberately interviews them after they are drunk. This is distressing viewing, so bear that in mind if you plan to watch it but I thought it was also great reminder to keep on doing what i'm doing and staying off the booze. It is obvious that this documentary was extremely influential to those who have seen it, I have attached a link below of a Facebook page a viewer has made (who obviously has personal issues and experience with alcoholism). 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. Watching Nigel s family crying over his coffin is something that is upsetting and distressing for all. It is a difficult film to watch because of the subject matter it deals with. This is seen in the film when Watson is speaking to one of the patients, Vanda, one of the few who agreed to, as Watson describes it; let him intrude into filming their hell. Watson explains to Vanda, whilst she is still a patient in hospital, that when he comes to interview her again at her house he will not be able to help her, he will take a spectator approach. Rain In My Heart is a documentary that is observing four alcohol abusers Vanda, aged 43; Mark, 29; Nigel, 49 and Toni, 26 from the impoverished Medway towns of north Kent. http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7140000/newsid_7143600/7143616.stm. If the subjects are happy to be filmed then I dont see the problem as long as they have a stable state of mind. Paul Watson was capturing the real lives of these alcoholics, he was not interfering with their actions and allowed alcoholics who were told if they drink anymore they could die, to drink. It is true that these patients are probably not fully capable of realising the whole process of the documentary, however they are aware that a camera is always present and they are sometimes asked by Watson if they prefer it to be switched off. Vanda, one of his participants spoke of the abuse she endured from her Father, and when she told her Mother and she didnt believe her, thats when she turned to alcohol. This was mostly due to the fact that obviously he was filming people with huge vulnerability in their lives, therefore he was careful not to portray the situation as taking advantage of. However, in my opinion, after he knocks over Vandas drink and clears it up for her, he says the phrase I had put so much money on you. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. Im thinking of the massacre set to Bach, of the march over the horizon to Israel, and of the justly infamous shower scene. /Users/abgsaniya/Desktop/hqdefault.jpg. It serves its purpose of portraying the realities of alcoholism, and at times may seem harsh, but in doing so creates an ugly truth that otherwise wouldnt be seen. However, it doesnt necessaily mean it is totally a bad thing. In comparison to other hard-hitting and eye opening documentaries and coverage of alcohol/substance addictions, I think that Rain In My Heart is hardly exploitative at all. Of the four, two die whilst in hospital and a third dies within five . 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. The film charts the traumas faced by the alcoholics as they bounce between Gillingham Medway Maritime Hospital and their homes, and highlights the emotional impact their struggle has had on those around them. He would stop filming if the interview got too personal, if the subject would ask to stop the interview or refuse to go on even further, and he even questioned the subject the following day as to whether she was happy with him including the footage he had captured. Shop unique custom made Canvas. 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. It is true that Watson recorded all of what the people he met were saying, even the most intimate and private details of their existence. My beautiful wife, Denise . Rain in my heart is very clinical in its approach to a very tough subject matter, as if Watsons approach matches that of the grief caused by alcoholism for his subjects. 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. Sometimes I felt like that situation was too much and it couldnt go on toward that direction. To clarify, I dont think hes exploiting anyone in this film. Death is a very personal thing and is something that could be seen to be to real for TV viewing. 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. It may not be a documentary, but to get at what Im thinking, look at this scene Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. He pressed forward with the interview and filmming in the crual moment such as his subject vomitted and had a hard time with pain. There were also times where Watson was rather firm and intrusive in his questioning of Vandas childhood and life. However, I do not think that Watson intentionally tried to exploit his subjects. I feel it is hard to say if Watson exploited his subjects, because I dont know whatever deal they probably made behind the screen. Anyway, audiences (including us) will always question whether a subject who is having their whole life pried open for viewing could be a victim of exploitation. She then replies with a smirk, Obviously. However i think he knew he was being somewhat intrusive. Also while researching I found a Guardian article discussing the film. Nonetheless, I think that Paul Watsons work is justifiable and I do not consider him to be selfish. Rain is a natural phenomenon that has extreme importance in human society. Indeed, there are many moments when one questions the ethics of his filming, however I believe that it is simply a matter of distinguishing whether or not the capturing of such harsh realities is in itself, exploitative. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rain-In-My-Heart-Documentary-In-Memory-Of-My-Dad-Toni-And-Vanda/233416877232. 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. 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. The most obvious example is the scene where Vanda (being drunk) tells Paul about the monsters in her head, even though she did not want to talk about that when she was sober. 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. He found the only four people that were willing to take part in this film not to paint them in a bad light, but rather to show the general public what excessive consumption of alcohol could do to a person and how it can affect them physically and mentally, as well as their families. Twenty-nine when he appeared in. However, as I mentioned previously, Watson neither encourages nor halts the emotional stress of the patients, he simply asks them questions about their mental state and at times even asks the patients if they would prefer the camera to be turned off. Rain in my Heart(TV Movie) Opinion Awards FAQ User Reviews User Ratings External Reviews Metacritic Reviews Details Full Cast and Crew Release Dates Official Sites Company Credits Filming & Production Technical Specs Storyline Taglines Plot Summary Synopsis Plot Keywords Parents Guide Did You Know? But that is not a bad thing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661761/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjy8Z1hK2wY, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/taking-it-off-for-the-holocaust, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LuFOX0Sy_o. Being somewhat intrusive methods to post your comment: you are commenting using your WordPress.com.... Testimony to the addiction already Watson was too close to his family, for example did effect the tone... 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