One component of this class was to watch a film about Nicaragua, my group was assigned the documentary: Pictures From a Revolution.
Pictures From a Revolution is a film by Susan Meiselas, Richard P. Rogers, and Alfred Guzzetti. It is a documentary that is centered around the photos taken by Susan Meiselas during the Nicaraguan Revolution/Contra War. Photographer Susan Meiselas was in Nicaragua in the late 1970's/ early 1980's. She saw the beginnings of the Contra War and photographed the country, including both people and places during this time. In the documentary, Susan returns ten years later to try to reconnect with the people she photographed and figure out what happened to them during these tough times.
I personally found this documentary very powerful. This is because this film was very raw and real. It dealt with real events, real consequences, and real people, there was no Hollywood-esque message or ending that left viewers with a happy ending. Instead, it simply reported what became of everything and everyone regardless if this was for the better or worse. Even the narration given to viewers by Susan is dejected. As she describes what it took to get each shot, even at times risking her life to capture a moment, she tells viewers how looking back even these photos fail to really capture the feeling of it all. And as the film keeps playing, you begin to realize that Susan herself needed to go back to gain some closure on everything she witnessed and that this documentary allowed her to reflect on it all.
At on point, our group began to question and discuss the ethics of this documentary. This is because as Susan asks these individuals to recount their experiences during the revolution some of them begin to cry half way through it. Seeing this really struck a cord with all of us and made us question whether she really should have been asking them to relive these painful times. I have continued to wrestle with this idea since I watched Pictures From a Revolution. While, I am still not entirely sure how ethical it is, I do believe that their stories were important to hear. This is because it gives for a closer and more personally view on the history of the Nicaraguan Revolution. It allows outsiders to access the emotions and individual stories rather than simply read a text-book or wikipedia version of the history. It also humanizes both sides and allows individuals to not only express their stance on the outcomes, but also explain why they fought or whose side they fought on. There is no bad guy or good guy simply people.