9 - "If a Tree Falls" & "L'Erreur Boréal"

Demetria Ekiridzo

Jessica Joncas

Samantha Zakher

            Life on Earth is great and very relaxing to the privileged western countries. We have the highest education on earth, food from every corner of the planet, and the most innovating technology. One can visit people in different continents in a maximum of 2 days, and can take a tour of the world by plane or boat. People are building more and more, opening places to immense innovations. However, has one every thought about the origins of these resources? Or more precisely, how it is being created? It is all and well to know that paper comes from trees, but do you know that 95% of the trees have been completely razed from the surface of the North America? Life on Earth isn’t actually that relaxing; unless, of course, you have been totally clueless up until now.

“If a Tree Falls:  A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”

            “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” is a documentary directed by Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman, revolving around the environmentalists called the Earth Liberation Front (E.L.F). This documentary was produced in the United States in 2011 and is 85 minutes; it features Daniel McGowan, his friends, family, allies of the E.L.F and many others. Daniel McGowan was a regular kid that lived in New York City, and went to catholic school. After college, McGowan realized the impacts and the problems related to the environment, and then decided to join the environmental movement. To make a change, he started joining petitions and writings letters, trying to inform the people about what was going on with the environment. When he noticed that his first actions were not effective, he and his group of activists did property destruction and civil disobedience. McGowan and his group never intended to harm anyone, they make these actions with the only intention to bring down big corporation. When McGowan noticed that these acts of protest became dangerous he and some other member of the E.L.F drop out and continued their life in a different direction. In 2005, Daniel McGowan was arrested at his workplace by federal agents for being involved into “terrorist” actions. At the end of the documentary, we see Jake Ferguson ended up walking free after traitorously giving up his friends to the federal agents. Many other E.L.F members got jail time; and for Daniel McGowan, he was sentenced to 7 years in jail.

          This video is a brief overview of the E.L.F actions :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyLcmtwk0xQ

After watching the documentary “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”, we could very well realize that the movie shows multiple point of views. These multiple points of view let the audience make their own opinion on the subject, as well as who they agree with. In the documentary, the content was quite biased towards the E.L.F. and the environmental issues. Although it is biased, the directors demonstrated a various amount of points of view and ideologies like the police officers and the investigators as well as the media and the businessmen. Daniel McGowan and other E.L.F members believed that what they were doing the right thing for the environment. They tried to deliver their message by by burning buildings and property damage. Daniel McGowan put himself out there to show his beliefs and ideologies. The documentary film tries to show what environmentalism is all about, the film implies that being an environmentalist is someone that supports nature and wants to protect it. Daniel's point of view in the film gives him a chance to show ideologies and makes himself an example to follow. One of the most important messages in this film is that we have to stand up for what we believe in. However, as shown in the film: there are limits. The E.L.F. wanted to shock the companies; however, their ways were drastic and dangerous. Due to those extreme methods, business owners lost their money and their hard work. 

When the director interviewed the business owners, they used their testimonies to make the documentary less biased. He also used many testimonies to show different ideologies about the saving the environment and how important the issue is. This documentary also added a lot of scenes showing police brutality, demonstrating these peaceful protesters getting pepper sprayed and being bombared with gas, etc. By doing so the director showed how the police has to follow what they are told even if they do not necessairly agree with their orders. What the environmentalist wanted to show to everyone else, is that our environment is getting worse every day, second by second, and if we keep going we are going to lose what is left of it.

“L’Erreur Boréale”

The film “L’Erreur Boréale” is a documentary directed by Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie. It is mostly about Quebec’s nature and how it’s being treated here. But it’s really about the deforestation in Quebec. This film was made in Quebec in 1999 and is 68 minutes long. At the beginning of the film, he interviews an elderly man called Robert Monderie; he helped make this documentary with Richard Desjardin. They start talking about Lake Vaudray, in Quebec. This man says that since he was five years old, he would come and spend his summers there. However, it’s almost all gone because such a big amount of trees have been cut down by these companies. In Abitibi, Quebec, there lies one of the biggest leather factories in the world. They poisoned tons of lakes and rivers, and cut down many important trees in Lake Vaudray. Luckily, Richard Desjardins started a petition; He received one thousand five hundred signatures to stop the leather company from cutting down more trees, on the other side of Lake Vaudray. No one really realizes what’s happening to nature; since we build walls around forests, human beings cannot witness or see how people disrespect nature, and how little they care about the trees.  This is the problem Richard Desjardins is trying to show people in his documentary. The government keeps cutting down so many trees here in Montreal. Desjardins’ goal in this film was to show us citizens that we need to make a change and we need to save the forests. When the Europeans came to North America, they had already cut all the trees of the forest. However, when Jacques Cartier came to North America, he was amazed by the nature. Back in the day, the forest in Quebec used to be two times bigger than it is now! One tree used to be enough to cut a plank of wood for a table but nowadays, they need more than just one tree. In 1910, in Quebec, a new law had been created: wood had to be transformed into paper. In 1950, Trois-Rivière became the world’s capital of paper.

            The way Richard Desjardins expresses his feelings about nature and the cutting down of the trees is great. In this film, he reveals to us, the audience, what the government and industries are trying to do through the use of pictures. He is also tells us what exactly they’re hiding from people. Desjardins says that they are cutting the trees in a disrespectful and exaggerating way; they are definitely not replanting trees, they’re taking the homes of many animals and they’re slowly killing humans. The government and the industries are not respecting the environment; all they truly care about is making a profit. We need those trees because they have the oxygen necessary for our breath and survivals, our food and animals, our well being, etc.

 Check out this short video that demonstrates the changes happening to Quebec's forest.  ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgspXk58NVc

            

 The concept of this film is to teach us the importance of nature and trees. Industries have to stop cutting down so many trees. There aren’t many trees left in the world. Nobody realizes how important the environment and soon it’s all going to be gone. 

         This film presents one clear ideologie, that we have to be careful and change our ways before all our forest get cut down. L'erreur boréale denounce the clean cuts happening in the nordique forest.  Desjardins uses this film to show the issue of deforestation in Quebec and uses statistics to support his claims.

         At the end of the documentary, Desjardins shows pictures to students studying nature; those picture demonstrate what people are doing to the forest. He shows them what the industries have done to Lake Vaudray, and how there aren’t many trees left: they are quite shocked, because they’ve never seen the forest like that. Ignorance is prevalent throughout the society: Important information is withholden from naturalists themselves!

Our Thoughts on the Films

These films are very eye-opening to some, and a complete joke to others. It shows us how urgent the problem of ecology is, and yet how many people ignore it. These films can be seen as pretty challenging: to get their point across, some people decide to cause damage through their method of arson, but they keep on going until they are heard, yet they mostly manage to be seen as terrorists, and their purpose is completely invisible. It is very shocking to see how far people can go for simple trees. However, it is understandable when we see how much damage one has caused to the environment. It is very weird to see such an extremist side of the environment, since it is usually treated as an exagerated issue. The environment has become a real issue as seen the both movies our forests and environments are being destroyed and we need to take action. These films invite us to treat the environment more seriously, and to realise how much damage we are causing. Throughout the world, about 900 million trees are cut down annually, as of 2014. We never seem to realise how much we’re killing the earth because we are so desensitised to its issues. Watching these films is like taking a bath in cold water, gasping and coming back to the surface, and realising you are very much awake, but that you have chosen to be sleepy and blind. Littering, buying books, using too much water, has always been done without a care in the world. However, we now have a guilty feeling in the back of our heads. With every meter you drive with a car, another dent is put in the Earth’s lifespan.

The film “L’Érreur Boréale” was eye-catching because we got to see how so many industries treat our environment in such disgusting ways. Desjardins showed us what an industry had done to Lake Vaudray and I thought it was just so sad to see someone’s home being destroyed like that. Every year, more and more poor animals become extinct, due to human actions. It is sad to see those beautiful creatures be gone forever. 

 It is not very likeable to be treated as Earth’s criminals. No one likes to be seen as a hateful and disgusting person, yet these films has human beings be seen like so. It is trying to make us realize and make us accept that with every action we take, we are causing environmental damage. Seeing all the police brutality against peaceful protesters is shocking: it is unbelievable that the government itself is fully ignoring the damage they are causing to the environment, and are weeding out the people who do care about it. Image after image, scene after scene, the message of these films finally get embedded in our brain, and we feel somewhat guilty. Obviously, it is too difficult and almost impossible to radically change our lifestyle, but small actions are better than nothing.

            I would say that the filmmaker have done a good job in conveying their ideas; it was a bit shocking to see how developed of a crime the eco-terrorists have done, without being a single bit guilty about it, in the moment. It is good to see how they’ve reflected on it, without degrading the purpose of it. However, it is a bit unnecessary to see how much empathy the filmmakers wants us to pour in the film to feel bad for Daniel. It is important that we see him as a human being, but seeing to much of him in a positive light erases the crimes he has done. Desjardins has done a successful job of demonstrating how intensely important information is hidden from us, with the example of naturalists students being shocked at his pictures. The anecdotes were also interesting, yet not totally convincing without the proof of solid evidence.
          
          After watching these two documentary, we realized that we should take action to save the planet. Just looking at my neighborhood the municipality is taking over our forest to build condos. I remember when I just moved in, their was only two or three streets present in my development and now there is about 10 to 12 streets. This has made me open my eyes to what the environment is facing. The two documentary made me notice that the I need to take action, so lately I tried taking care of the environment even more, I have tried to reduce my ecological footprint.   

To conclude, we shall end with the obvious; the environment is extremely, tremendously, important. ‘If A Tree Falls’ demonstrate how desperate the environmentalists are, for the cause is urgent: L’Erreur Boréale, likewise. Both films show us the effects of the long-term damage we have created.  We must realise how much damage we are causing to the Earth, and we must change our lifestyles to ensure a better life for us and the future generations. We need to rally against the corporations who ignore the damage they cause on Earth, and protest peacefully, because extreme reaches will only bring us backwards. Going slow yet steady is the best method. However, are we truly capable of change?

Want to help make a change, here are 10 simple things you can do to make the planet healthier.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/earthday.html

8 - A Crisis, Memory and Documentary Film-making

Written by Caelan Ratcliffe, Robert Fox, and Courtney Carrier-Guy

A Crisis, Memory and Documentary Filmmaking

Where it all began

Many events and decisions from our past leaders and citizens have forcefully shaped what we know as today’s society. They have made us question several times their legacy and judgment through the “what if” process. Documentaries have a tendency to help us understand their opinions and the circumstances that can push to such a settlement. Action: The October Crisis of 1970 (Robin Spry, 1973, Canada, 87 min.) and Comfort and Indifference (Denys Arcand, 1981, Canada, 109 min.) show two separate point of views on history’s situation: one less propaganda than the other.

Historical Events in Action: The October Crisis of 1970

In documentary films, we may often think of history to be a standard choice for a topic or issue. It is indeed a classical process of documentary filmmaking. Often we tend to think the subject of a documentary is constantly historical events, but it can be much more. A narrator, a story and an opinion are all that’s needed to have the start to an incredible film. Historical events are key aspects that are discussed and analyzed in a documentary film. They make us aware of the past, conscious of the present and prepared for what our future holds. This is just another way to describe “collective memory”.

The film Action: The October Crisis of 1970 is a typical and a perfect example of a theme for documentary filmmaking. Its calm and collective nature using archival footage and narrator led to diverse point of views during our weekly class discussion. Many opinions arouse but it all began with a famous figure of Greek mythology. Clio, was the muse of history. She was the character that was represented through the topic of the film and is the foundation of our knowledge in the past.

Important Elements of the Film

We primarily undertook the problem regarding the roots of French Canadian dissatisfaction during this period of time along with the rise of nationalism. The main ideas that were brought up were related to the rise of tension. It all started with the war between the English and the French. This victory led to the omnipresence of English in Montreal. The best job opportunities and the incapability to form Unions created even more intensity in this matter. Between 1960 and 1970, the change in the political scene was drastic. It began with Maurice Duplessis, a very closed-in person that did everything in his power to make the English happy and pleased. Then, Jean Lesage, the recipient of the power following Duplessis’s death and there’s the beginning of La Révolution Tranquille. René Lévesque was next in line. He was a well spoken being and had the ability to reach out to everyone by taking into consideration their backgrounds and lifestyles. Finally, we have the FLQ that transforms into a social movement which leads us to their manifesto which had many highlights. For starters, they wrote that Quebec should be independent and free from exploitive English. This is at the base of everything and opens up even more ideas. The removal of English taxes, burning down Westmount, the rejection of outside companies and, most important of all, the government admitting that the election was rigged from the very start. These demands and many more are of great importance to the FLQ. Then, the kidnappings of Pierre Laporte and James Cross caused much chaos and distress throughout Quebec.

The FLQ manifesto: http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/docs/october/manifest.htm

Following the FLQ manifesto, the discussion pursued towards Trudeau’s justifications for the use of the War Measures Act. It was pointed out that he claimed there was civil unrest and insurrection and that this decision was made to prevent further kidnappings down the political line. He pledged that if he didn’t take action, it would only get worse and that it was the best course of action for the people. Soon after, the reactions to Pierre Laporte’s death, which was the melancholy in the film. This tragedy, then led to the death of the FLQ.

We learned many things after viewing this documentary film. The whole story of the October Crisis was blurry in the minds of many of us. The most shocking information about this whole film was the fact that the kidnapper’s of Pierre Laporte and James Cross were sent to Cuba as they requested to live normal, happy and, utmost shameful, free lives. Abounding pieces of information were giving to us to once again help in the comprehension of our history. We may then encounter the idea of myths: “the symbolic expression of desires, fears, and tensions proper to humankind.” They give us a chance to understand the profound power that are evolved in the process of shaping our destiny. They shape the numerous cultural patterns by guiding human lives and inspiring the birth of new philosophies and art. This leads us to speak about cultural memory. This signifies that our memory can become unified as a part of an endless collective development. Memories can be shared between individuals with the support of symbolic forms like film. During this process, they create associations based on our history, which reach mythical levels. Just like in these films, the memory of this event is pronounced throughout the whole society. It’s a part of us without knowing and realizing. This procedure develops our collective and cultural memory not only for ourselves but also, for the entire community.

Comfort and Indifference

Comfort and Indifference is a Quebec documentary film made in 1991 centered around the first Quebec referendum of 1980. The film has no narration and only one fictionalized character spliced between the footage of the events leading up to the referendum and the results afterwards. The documentary is primarily footage from official tv coverage of the rallies and political speeches, as well as interviews with Quebecers and Canadian governmental officials.

One of René Lévesque's famous speeches

     The film opens with it’s only fictionalized character, Niccolo Machiavelli,  a historical figure from 16th century Italy, author of "The Prince", a political paper on philosophy, power, and politics. Throughout the film the actor recites lines attributed to Machiavelli, most likely from "The Prince".

We first see signs of separationist ideas brewing in the film when Rene Levesque gives his speech in Paris, 1977, where he says that Quebecers are worried about the persistence of their culture and hints at independence being the best solution for the "nation" of Quebec, and that America's successful revolution should be a sign that other nations can do what they strive to do.

The breadth of the film is showing the events leading up to the separation vote on May 20th, many speeches both for and against, as well as many political stunts. The “stunt” that stuck out to me the most has got to be the boxing match. Titled as “The Referendum Match”, it starred Andre “No” Beauchamp facing off against Reginald “Yes” Chartrand. The two, representing their chosen political sides, duked it out in the ring, with Reginald being the clear winner and Andre fleeing for most of the match. The intense and powerful symbolism would’ve been as apparent then as it is now, the Separatists were stronger, so their cause must be stronger. After the fight Reginald gives an incredibly powerful speech about how Quebec needs to not be afraid to take risks just like how he was when he stepped into the ring to fight.

Throughout the film, the filmmakers pick and choose what footage to use to give their viewpoint. Although the only fictional character (Machiavelli) doesn’t directly express a side, “The Prince” excerpts he recites all have to do with the use of power and when to form and break alliances. Without it being explicitly stated, Machiavelli is on the side of separation, though not entirely. For example, he says that “Men forget losing their fathers quicker than they forget losing their money”, and the next interview is of the “No” members saying that leaving would cripple the economy. In a sense, he outlines what issue would be discussed over the next few scenes. However, I found that the film overall casts the “No” side in a better light, though perhaps that’s because it was the “No” side that won and they made sure to show many lengthy scenes of the post vote celebration and party.

I learned a lot from viewing Comfort and Indifference. Although not the violent and entertaining film that October Crisis was, Comfort and Indifference showed what the common people in Montreal, in Quebec, and in other provinces thought about the vote to separate rather than just the radicals on either side. It really got into what people’s reasons for both sides were, from simple emotions to patriotism to economics and world politics. One reason for the “Yes” side stuck out to me, and that was that the people voting “No” were just doing it to protect their own interests and their money. Which they were, actually, and there’s this belief that since a side is trying to hold on to their money, that they’re just greedy and that the other side, the “Yes” side in this case, was just for wanting to do what their honor demanded instead of worrying about their money. However, throwing a new country straight into an economic depression to satisfy a sense of honour, to me at least, simply isn’t a sensible choice, but rather one fueled by a more fairy tale view of the world where the hero always wins because they are the hero, rather than embracing reality for what it is.

Here I have found a Forbes articles on different types of leadership that I found related to the separatist discourse.

Two sides to a story

The documentary films of “Comfort and Indifference” and “ Action The October Crisis of 1970”can have a very large impact on our lives. By teaching us many different lessons from our past, they allow us to understand and further question the reasons for certain events and how never to repeat them in the future.

Historical documentaries like these teach us the stories and mistakes made by past generations and the questionable acts committed. For example, the ways the FLQ handled the situation for the demands for the Quebecois populace.Both these documentaries show us a perception of the committed and the accuser and not just one side.  While news shows us only one side of a story, theses two documentaries shows us both sides which allows the message to become clearer on how a certain event happened or who may or may not be the cause of it. It’s never clear on which side we should support during the showing of current events, it only allows us to further understand the reasoning behind the events that past in both documentaries. To understand a situation without the anger of those speaking in the interviews will allow us to have a clear understanding of what truly happened at that time. That we tend to act in complicated and tough in situations with a lot of emotion. It teaches us that we need to look at conflicts with not a emotional point of view but rather one that is neutral and willing to understand.

Both documentaries allows us to open our minds and feel many emotions and ideas we wouldn’t have had before watching the documentaries. It  questions and later changes our point of view on what society has spread wildly throughout the ages. To the English community, the parti Quebecois was seen as a force that would destroy all English speaking Canadians when really, their efforts were focused on preserving the French speaking majority. That only the certain French citizens were responsible for killings and destruction of English speaking Canadians and property. These types of documentaries are important in our lives because they strive to change society’s perceptions on many stereotypes and question them as well. That not all Germans were Nazis and that not all Muslims are terrorists. Therefore, it's correct to assume that not every stereotype you hear is necessarily true and that we should question what we believe and preach.

This link draws attention on how the German people were treated after World War two. How they were all despised for what they did to the Jewish population when half of the population didn’t support Hitler and his third Reich, didn’t know about the death camps and were forced into joining the army by the Nazis.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/third-reich-rise-and-fall/

Depending on the viewer however, the lack of English voice or subtitles could disrupt the lesson being taught. For example, “Comfort and Indifference” uses many interviews in French in order to get their point across. Though these facts are authentic, it may aggravate the English viewer who wishes to see more English interviews to better understand the point that the documentary is trying to show.I relate to this point because i found it was difficult to follow on what message the  interviews were trying to show, mainly because the french was spoken too fast. That with french being my second language i couldn’t understand what they were saying. Though “Action The October Crisis of 1970” uses and equal amount of English and French interviews in order not to be bias in any way to the viewer. As well, the director Denys Arcand of the documentary “Comfort and Indifference”  uses a actor playing a Cardinal to speak passages of the bible that highlights aspects of  great leaders. He uses this technique to draw in the audience to further understand what makes a leader.  This is a great way for the viewer to draw conclusions on why certain events happened and why these leaders were praised by the people they led.Through, with the use of understanding and manipulating the audience, the documentarians can properly address their points across to us and allow us to further understand an event in history.

Through the understanding of events from a non bias or emotional point of view and the effects to change society's stereotypes. The documentaries “Comfort and Indifference” and “Action The October Crisis of 1970” allow us to fully understand what it means to be the next generation of human beings. That we shouldn’t follow our predecessor’s actions to forge our own paths towards our futures but to rather question and learn from them. That by being aware of our actions now, we will be able to bring a brighter and better future for the next generation to come.

7- Heroes and their Quests

7- The Journey of a Hero

Written by Alicia Trifonopoulos, Loïc Lefort and Pavitra Upadhyaya

In our lives, we have heard about Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man… These heroes have shown us their extraordinary powers which make each of them distinctive. Have you ever thought of common people like yourself as being a hero or heroin in your own remarkable journey starting from birth and ending at your death? This means that each one of you has a unique power to surmount any obstacle which comes your way. Ordinary people like Philippe Petit from Man on Wire, Joe Simpson from Touching the Void and Terry Fox have proved that heroes exist in the real world as well.

Touching the Void, a hero’s journey

           Touching the Void (Kevin Macdonald, 2003, United Kingdom,106 min.) is a documentary film which centers on a hero’s journey. The main hero of the film is Joe Simpson because we see his journey back to safety whereas the second hero, Simon Yates, helps create a difficult situation for the main hero to surmount on his own.

Picture of Joe Simpson, Simon Yates and Richard Hawking (from left to right)

One of the well-known heroes from the ancient times is Hercules. Joe Simpson, just like Hercules, goes through a cycle known as the Journey of the Hero by Joseph Campbell.

http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/Workshop-stuff/Campbell-Myth-quest.gif

A more simplified version can be separated into three parts: the separation, the initiation (or the supreme ordeal in the diagram above) and the return (or the unification in the diagram above).

The separation is the twist in the hero’s normal life which obliges him to go on a difficult quest. In Touching the Void, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates embark on an adventure together: climbing the West Side of the Siula Grande which was previously unclimbed because of its dangerous structure. However, since they are experienced mountain climbers, they are still in their ordinary world. They do not find much difficulty in climbing the mountain other than the bad weather (snow storm). The sudden change that brings them into the unknown, special world is the fall of Joe Simpson during their descent in which he breaks his leg. Therefore, this situation marks the separation point in the cycle.

The initiation is the journey that the hero takes in order to return. After breaking his leg, the heroes, Simon and Joe, decide to apply a new technique to descend. Simon would first lower Joe using two 150 feet ropes tied together and then descend. With the worsening weather and the night closing in, Yates inadvertently lowers Simpson off a cliff. Simpson is not able to climb up and Yates is not able to pull Simpson back up. After some time, Yates decides to cut the rope in order to save his own life leaving Simpson to survive on his own.

The return is the change in the hero’s personality after he comes back to the starting point, the hero’s normal, known world. Joe Simpson and Simon Yates are now known as the only two climbers who successfully climbed the Siula Grande. Also, Simon Yates is judged by the mountain climbing community for cutting the rope. Simpson and Yates’ relationship must have changed after this event.

Here is a video which explains the cycle of the Journey of a Hero according to Joseph Campbell: https://vimeo.com/140767141

A documentary is a narrative of facts and reality, therefore, it can be analysed using the Actantial Model.

http://jorgenboge.wdfiles.com/local--files/actantial-model/actantial-model.png

The sender is someone or something that creates a sudden change in a character’s life. In Touching the Void, the heroes decide to climb the mountain because they think they are capable enough. It is a quest for fame. The subject is a person who takes on the quest. Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. The object is the quest. In this film, it is climbing the dangerous, unclimbable side of a mountain with very little equipment and in Alpine style. The receiver is someone who benefits from the quest. Simpson and Yates receive fame and recognition. The helper is someone or something which aid the heroes in their quest. In the film, Richard Hawking helps Simon regain his strength after his excursion. An intangible helper is Joe’s will to survive which helped him survive. The opponent is someone or something which creates obstacles for the subject. Climbing the mountain itself is the opponent for the heroes in Touching the Void.

The heroism present in this film is very mythical. Like Buddha, the heroes, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, think something is lacking in their original world. Seeking to fix this missing object, they go on an adventure from where they return as changed people. Myths are used to explain these objects present in the world that cannot be explained by science. Like many myths, nature is depicted as a supreme and powerful being, for example, Mother Nature, who controls the natural elements of the world. From this film, we learn that nature is much more powerful and that we must not challenge it.

The film was special because of the interviews which guided the story of the heroes. The vivid images of the thirst to survive, and all the realistic actions and obstacles in the path created an impact in the emotions of the viewers. Even though the footage of the mountain is fake, it becomes real through the heroes speeches. They tell us their truth which gives the film a sense of realism. The movie is shown as told by the main characters, Simpson and Yates. The interviews narrate the movie therefore, there are breaks from the mountain footage to incorporate these interviews. However, sometimes, the narrators’ voices are juxtaposed on the mountain scenes.

Man on Wire

The second film we had to watch was Man on wire (James Marsh, 2008, United Kingdom, 131 min.). The film is a documentary made in 2008 centered on Philippe Petit, a French wire walker, who illegally installed a wire between the twin tower of the World Trade Center in New York in August 1974. For 45 minutes, Philippe walked on the wire, going from the South tower to the North one and vice versa.

https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2014/jun/22/philippe-petit-man-on-wire-highwire-creativity-book

Man on wire starts with M. Petit telling how he first had the idea of wire walking between the two towers. He recounts how he first discovered about the twin towers in 1968 in a magazine at a dentist office. At the time, he was only 18 years old. Discovering what, at the time, would be the world’s highest buildings made him imagine the mad idea of wire walking between the two. Shortly after, we are introduced to other people who helped Philippe Petit in his quest. People such as Annie Allix, his girlfriend at the time and some of his friends like Jean-Louis Blondeau. Each of them will offer their point of views on the events. Even though Petit’s dream was to wire walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center, they were not yet build when he first discovered about them and even when he achieved his dream, they were still under construction. In the meantime, he wire walked on other well known and high infrastructures. In 1971, he goes to Paris and wire walk on the Notre-Dame cathedral. Two years later, he goes to Sydney where he wire walks on the Harbour Bridge. Philippe some of his accomplice relate the many travels he did to the United States during which they gathered information about the twin towers; taking pictures from an helicopter, going himself on the site, filming and interviewing employees. Shortly after, we are shown a reconstitution of the coup! How Philippe Petit and his friends entered in the two towers, how they installed the wire and finally, original footage of Philippe Petit on the wire. Afterward, we get a conclusion of the events happening around M. Petit’s achievement as seen by him and the people who helped him in his quest.

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1825168,00.html

The most striking part of the movie, apart from the wire walking, is the character of Philippe Petit. As incredible as it may seem, he is a character, one we find in movies and books. Not only his personality is eccentric in a way, he also has a talent to tell stories by creating images that makes it even more interesting. While listening to him, we even wonder sometimes if all of it really happened or he is only an actor playing a role. Philippe Petit’s quest can also be transpose on Greimas’ actantial model, him being the subject and wire walking between the two towers his quest. He has allies in his friends and foes in the authority. His adventure has a sender (himself) and a receiver (himself as well as the many people who saw his achievement). Campbell’s Journey of the hero can also be applied. Philippe Petit’s separation is the moment when he first found about the two towers. His initiation is from that moment to the moment he is arrested by the police and finally his return happens just afterward when he achieves fame. M. Petit can also be seen as a popular hero from a fairy tale. His physical achievement, even though it is incredible enough, is on the microcosmic level and does not affect all of society. Mr. Petit’s adventure is also a life crisis; him versus the society. It can be translate as a crisis in his life that became somewhat impersonal through the book he wrote and the documentary that were done on him where the reality almost becomes a myth.

The Hero’s Legacy

Documentary films like Touching the Void and Man on Wire tremendously impact our day-to-day lives because we cannot help but marvel over how these heroes are able to realize seemingly impossible objectives. Furthermore, they remind us that, while we have the power to make the impossible happen, it is only through hard-work and dedication that we can accomplish any goal be it big or small. As demonstrated in Man on Wire, there is more emphasis on the extensive planning carried out by Philippe Petit’s team than the feat itself. In other words, the journey is never easy, and the way they overcome the challenges is what influences us the most. It is only when we are faced with our greatest challenges that we become aware of our true selves and potential. Joe Simpson becomes conscious of his fears and beliefs only because of his near death experiences descending the Siula Grande. Once he realizes that he is afraid to die alone and that he only has himself to depend on, he gets the drive to accomplish his task. Therefore, these films encourage us to understand ourselves at a deeper level because we only accomplish what we believe in ourselves to be possible.  

As previously stated, these characters can inspire us when we ourselves are faced with the obstacles that are preventing us from reaching our own goals. They teach us that nothing is too difficult to overcome if we persevere through our challenges. Even though we may never want to tightrope 1368 feet from the ground, our everyday goals can seem just as difficult to achieve, but they are also just as attainable if we put in the necessary effort. Therefore, while we are awed by these incredible journeys, we must remember that we too are capable of great feats as well. We do not need to look far to find instances where this is true because everything we achieve is the product of our hard-work even if they seem ordinary. To do well as students, it is necessary that we work hard throughout the entire school year and not get discouraged when the material seems difficult. Instead of giving up, we would spend more time studying or even asking for help from our teachers and peers. Once we overcome those challenges, then, we could end the school year feeling proud of how we succeeded because of our perseverance. This means that we all possess the qualities of a hero when we do what it takes to achieve our goals.

There have been many individuals throughout history who are remembered for overcoming the challenges to reach their goals. One man was Terry Fox who helped raise cancer awareness and whose Marathon of Hope continues to inspire the world today. Similarly to the heroes previously mentioned, he was determined to rise against what was believed to be impossible and began running in marathons despite having his leg amputated. Instead of seeing this as an obstacle that cannot be overcome, he persevered through the hardships he faced to inspire others not to give up either on a cure. Despite him dying because of cancer before completing his run across Canada, he is forever remembered for inspiring the world not to lose hope for a better world. More of his story could be learned in:

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/terry-fox/

The filmmakers for Touching the Void and Man on Wire succeed in presenting the exploits of these heroes in a way that is inspiring to us viewers. They accomplish this by combining the elements found in both documentary films and narrative films. The filmmakers use interviews exceptionally well because we hear their reflections on the event, and so, we gain a deeper understanding of its psychological impact which cannot be achieved exclusively with reenactments. In Touching the Void, it is clear that Joe does not blame Simon for leaving him behind because he says that he would have done the same. Therefore, this serves to shift their story away from the controversies of their climb and emphasize instead what was truly important for the climbers, namely, overcoming their hardships in the descent. Also, the reenactment scenes were chosen to resemble a narrative film which is very appropriate despite them being documentaries. This is because heroic exploits throughout history, like in mythology, have always been told in a form of a story. In Man on Wire, the reenactments should be as thrilling and exciting as the character of Philippe Petit. Therefore, the retelling of his journey is centered around breaking into the Twin Towers and evading security. However, they still remain rooted in the truth because the story unfolds as it is being told by those who lived it.      

Every single one of you has a unique gift to change the world, it is how you use the gift that determines your role in the world. Terry Fox transforms his unfortunate disease into his power and raises cancer awareness. Joe Simpson uses his willpower to survive and become an example of courage and bravery. He becomes an example of strength which encourages all of the viewers. In order to change the world, you must first change yourself. You must first invent yourself in order to invent your world. This is the power of creativity which comes from your desire to do something. If there is a will, there is a way.