The March of the Penguins: a Trade Off
The film documentary ‘La Marche de l’empereur’ was first released in January 2005 in France. Other versions were later released including the American ‘March of the Penguins’ which we saw in Britain. It follows the reproductive journey of Emperor penguins in the Antarctic.
It has been received as a documentary, and in that category has won many awards including an Oscar. Although I think it is a brilliant film, I do not agree with this classification. Documentaries are visual records conveying factual information. Being interpreted as a documentary when it clearly isn’t bestows on it false factual authority.
Anthropomorphism is used to increase empathy in the audience. However, this leads to misunderstanding the nature of the penguins. There is a trade-off between how realistically you portray the subject, and how the devices that create empathy affect the realism. The French version was dubbed to give the penguins dialogue. It successfully instilled empathy in the audience, but was a far cry from a visual record.
Although the American version was narrated, it again developed the penguins’ character beyond fact. It assigned the penguins emotions such as love, and encouraged an interpretation that has led to both the Conservatives and US religious groups heralding the Emperor penguin as the epitome of family values.
3 comments:
how do you feel about other documentaries that use fiction - e.g. Touching the Void?
Though, I wonder if that use of "drama" is different from anthropomorphism...? Anthropomorphism being slightly more metaphorical, and so (perhaps) less overtly a device for story telling than using actors, etc.
Well, in part I agree with you, but this was the most or the second must viewed documentary of all times.
I’m sure it did something for the science communication / environmental education all over the world. How much do we enjoy other themes get to the public like the penguins life, did we?
I must confess I prefer the French version - It's so much more "romantic"!
I think, after all, it’s worth the risk "Misunderstanding the nature of the penguins" by the public.
Have a nice Communication of Science!
Best Regards from Portugal
Rita from Caminhos do Conhecimento (Routes of Knowledge)
Science Communication and Environmental Education Project
Hello again!
I’m visiting you again to call your attention on the last mediatic science story – not because it’s a documentary – it isn’t. But has a supposed love story behind it.
Look on Associated Press: "Prehistoric Romeo and Juliet discovered"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070207/ap_on_sc/italy_prehistoric_love
I think this is another example of emotive issue that has success to call the public's attention.
Try to find the headlines on newspapers to this story of supposed love with 6000 years. How can we know if they were in love? Scientists think there is a man and a women, but they don’t have sure right now. And if are there two women or two men…? The only fact they could guarantee was they were young when they died.
In fact I think today most of the daily newspapers, that usually publish scientific stories, will talk about this one, because it calls to the people’s emotions and imagination for love stories.
Best regards
Rita
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