Week 9 - Documenting Nature, Reading: Christophers Flashcards
What is meant by the week documenting nature, how does it connect to the overall module?
Documenting nature delves into the relationship between humanity and the natural world as mediated through visual documentation.
How has National Geographic shaped perceptions of nature?
Playing an instrumental role in how we perceive ‘natural’ spaces, National Geographic adopts an ethnographic and anthropological stance. It has been widely criticised for it’s eurocentric lens
What does Sebastian Salgado’s photography evoke?
Salgado’s photography highlights the paradox of nature’s power and vulnerability. Whilst aiming to depict the harsh realities faced by people, the romanticised suffering has drawn criticism.
What role have the BCC Natural History Unit had in documenting nature?
The BBC Natural History Unit has been instrumental in bringing natural history to the public.
Why has the BBC Natural History Unit drawn criticism?
Since in documenting nature, it has presented ‘wild’ life in curated spaces which arguably present imperialistic ambitions.
What does Werner Herzog’s Encounters At The End of the World film explore?
Encounters challenges traditional natural film narratives by employing unique production, audio, and editing techniques. It raises questions about the difficulty of capturing the ‘sublime’ element of nature. It responds to dominant documentary film narratives, suggesting that it is not just what is captured that is important, but also what is elusive or excessive.
Why has the Frozen Planet documentary gained controversy?
- Some argued that the presentation lacked objectivity (e.g., the use of a wildlife centre to depict polar bear cubs)
- Some argued the presentation was unethical (what “natural” was presented?)
- The film arguably conformed to traditional narratives and understood cultural forms.
What does Gandy (1996) argue? What stance does his argument connect to?
Gandy (1996) offers a critical account of Herzog’s film Encounters At The End of The World, arguing the use of landscape reflects a tension between romantic and existential European thought. Here, nature has an unaccounted for emotional and psychological impact on individuals (sublime - emotional realism)
What does Christophers (2006) argue? What thought does this stem from?
Christophers (2006) critically analyses the production and representation of nature in television, particularly looking at the BBC Natural History Unit and Natural History New Zealand. Christophers (2006) argues that nature is as much mediated by the studio as it is the field. Due to financial constraints, the agenda for filming can vary. The flow of information from imperial powers also dominates.
What three areas does Christophers (2006) argue are important to looking at for thinking about the politics of natural history films?
Christophers argues there exists a “relative where” or film sites. Positioning in international webs is important to understanding meaning. 1) Capture 2) Production 3) Distribution.
