“Film can do damage if it's not done well, if it's not authentic, if people think they need to act,” warned Elisa Gambino, the Emmy Award-winning head of One Production Place, a studio that specializes in global health documentaries.
A discussion about the power of filmmaking to achieve social change, at Devex’s flagship Washington, D.C. event, had just been shown a clip in which interviewees in Kenya are told what to say and do, including such basics as how to “smile and talk” and how to “comfort” a child.
Gambino’s studio rejected the “very dehumanizing” footage, explaining how it illustrated her determination to film with “humility” and not to “impose” ideas in the field. “Often the most harm happens in communities where voices are not heard — not communities where people are voiceless, they're not, but where their voices are not heard,” she said.
About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
