Stranger with a Camera focusing on location


 A crucial element of the documentary is location because of the delicate differences between the two subjects as well as Barrett’s own location. Living in one of the poorest parts of the country, the people of Jeremiah, Kentucky always had filmmakers and reporters filming them. They found it to be dehumanizing. Some people felt they weren’t showing everything by these reporters showing other parts of the country. The photos focused on the poor housing, the hunger, and the general appearance of the town. According to the documentary, the wealth of this community was not derived from how much money they had, but rather from their culture.  Coles states, “What one thinks can depend upon who one is—the possibilities in life open and available, the limitations of life very much present (and threatening)” (Coles 40).  Barrett depicts this in the film, as he uses the knowledge from others who knew these men to show that it was their differences in location that caused the conflict. It was noted in the documentary that this allowed her to approach the people she interviewed more easily since she was not seen as a stranger with a camera, but instead as a mother and a wife, a member of her community with a camera. As a result of this connection, Barret is able to talk directly with the people, and really knows what questions to ask to get them to share their culture, since she is a member of it and believes it is an aspect of the story that needs to be shared. She uses her location as the basis for conducting the film in as unbiased and ethical a way as possible. As a filmmaker, she provides insight on her experiences in the community that allow her to further the knowledge of the audience and allow them to create their own opinions. She does so using the words and experiences of those present at the time of the incident between O’Connor and Ison, since, as she states at the film’s end, it is the filmmaker’s responsibility to protect the community they are filming.


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