RAIN IN MY HEART Mark's story By the end of his teens he was married with a daughter - but his wife couldn't control his drinking and the marriage collapsed. The decision to include this part of Vandas drunk dialogue is one that is certainly questionable, especially since we are not given evidence as to whether or not she did consent to the inclusion once sober. He had been in a coma for weeks after his intended sacrifice and showed no sign of waking up. Throughout the film, i found it almost challenging to watch as it touched on so many personal issues to Watsons subjects. Nigel died during the course of filming Rain in my Heart, leaving Kath and two teenage children. Rain In My Heart raises many ethical issues as a documentary yet highlights many health and social issues current in our society. About the same age as Vanda, Kath has spent more than a decade caring for an alcoholic. Rain in My Heart over steps the line between subject and film-maker relationship and Paul Watson in the end exploits his subjects. Boozenight is on Thursday, 13 December, at 10.30pm on BBC TWO. One example from the documentary which I felt that could have made some people to view as Watson exploiting his subjects would be when one of his subject revealed (when she was highly intoxicated) that she had been sexually abused by her father. About 20 different medications are washed down with pints of vodka and cordial. It is one of overwhelming sickness and reduced privacy/independence. Its hard to give a black or white answer of whether or not Paul Watson exploit the subject. 22/11/06 - 10:57 #8. Several times in the documentary we see him struggle to make decisions on how he will proceed with the footage he has. It is complicated to say if Paul Watsons techniques were successful in the making of the film, as there are arguments from both sides. If Watson couldnt do that, it wouldve been a pointless project. That both are now vulnerable because they/we are putting ourselves forward to talk about something that is often bypassed. That he doesnt so anything to stop them drinking is a part of their own agency, and I believe shows more respect than if he had intervened. Firstly there is very little music (it sounded like the grating pop track at Nigels funeral was actually being played live on a stereo) The camera work seems to lack precision and is only there for immediacy. High-quality Rain In My Heart Wall Art designed and sold by artists. There were no moments where I thought Paul Watson was exploiting his subjects in the film, I simply viewed him as an observational documentarist that attempted to explain the real horrors of self-harming through the use of alcohol. Voyeurism this is not. Watson used creative techniques through editing of previous footage of Vanda. It would be exceedingly difficult to make a documentary on a difficult subject such as alcoholism without the use of a subjects personal hardship. Print this design in the 3.5 x 5" size. And I think shots show the photographer and the really things that Watson suffered rise the trustiness of this documentary. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2006/nov/22/mattersoflifeanddeath. By going that extra further he creates a relationship with the subjects. I realised after I posted this! Is this the feel good factor we crave? Yes it is a devastating subject matter and yes the emotions that should arise in audiences should be just as devastating. In my opinion, this exploited them as the repetition was giving them a personality that they do not possess and is therefore, a form of misrepresentation. The fact he became emotionally involved with such a topic I believe would have helped; it was clear he so wanted them to stay off the alcohol and endure a full recovery. Sometimes during the film I felt like I wanted to intervene in order to stop what the interviewees were struggling with while telling their stories. Play over 265 million tracks for free on SoundCloud. He made it clear through out the film that he was never sure whether he should be filming his subjects or whether he should, at some points, be turning the camera off. Ive never seen alcoholism go to this extent. He witnessed some horrific scenes throughout filming and only once (that I can recall) did he step in to hand Mark a sick bucket and express disappointment to Venda for her choosing to buy a bottle of vodka. And it tells us a lot; it is educational, eye opening and informative. I can understand how to other viewers, this film may be seen as a breach to ethics within filmmaking, with how Watson gets so close with his vulnerable subjects, however, I feel that Watsons approach is what makes this film such a powerful observation. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. For I'm just a fool Who clings to his pride But when I'm alone I can hear The sound of rain In my heart Of the tears that I hide And it tears me apart 'Cause I keep them inside I can't get away From the sound of the rain In my heart How could I know, my love I was a toy Only a game to you? He is good at capturing facial expressions and touching moments, though he constantly replays repeated footage to create a moment. I thoroughly enjoyed this weeks viewing, I felt that it was very informative and educational to those who dont have much knowledge about alcoholism. I have noticed that many people discuss this film on various alcoholism-related websites and quite a number of people stopped drinking after watching it or at least took it into serious consideration, and even if one person was/ will be saved by this film than it was definitely worth it. Seeing the filmmakers process on screen is great when theyre doing something that you need to see. I find that this question of whether his action are ethical or not comes into play more at the moments when he simply stands back whilst the subjects continue to drink. Although this had a huge dramatic effect upon the viewer and it allowed the viewer to analyse the particular situation multiple times, I felt that Paul Watson was portraying them as if they were less in control of what they were saying, almost as if they were crazy. Therefore I agree that their lives were exposed (as they agreed and wanted them to be) but they were not harshly exploited by Paul. I also believe Watson tried his best to tackle these accusations, baring in mind that overdoing it throughout the documentary could appear to undermine the actual traumas of the patients and their families. The reason for all this was to make people aware about the phenomenon of alcoholism and surely not for attracting more audience. The truth of this film is that it brings attention to parts of life that as a society we tend to stay quiet about and so by being a representation for people who go through something so scary, life changing and threatening it can never appear wholly ethical. However, as an observational filmmaker, Watson has a certain obligation to the truth. I felt it did a fantastic job in warning people of the dangers of alcohol and addiction. (LogOut/ In the documentary, Paul Watson used lots of close up shots to catch the expression and emotion of these people, which deeply enhance the emotional stuff and educational meaning for this documentary. Watsons interference with the subject is, for the most part, kept to a minimum, although the interviews and conversations he has with the subjects comes across as interrogative at times. Personally, I would much rather watch Robert Winstons documentary series on the human body which ended with the filming of a mans death, from cancer, than go Watsons questionable film techniques. It is hard to be objective about this film because it is so easily relatable to me, I live equidistant from Medway hospital and Maidstone hospital, and most people avoid Medway because of its reputation. Explaining hell it is! Watson had to exploit his subjects in order to create such an amazing film. However, from what I saw in the film, Watson does take advantages on his subjects. As he sits and tells the audience his own personal views, this for me, made him seem more human. Alluding to the culture of exploitning woman, as well as Spielbergs film being a commercial (and one which ends with a very colourful, affirming ending) intent makes it a machine absording actresses and horrors for the output of satisfying drama. The most obvious example is the scene where Vanda (being drunk) tells Paul about the monsters in her head, even though she did not want to talk about that when she was sober. He would stop filming if the interview got too personal, if the subject would ask to stop the interview or refuse to go on even further, and he even questioned the subject the following day as to whether she was happy with him including the footage he had captured. What is interesting about this documentary is that when Paul Watson went to visit Vandas home and saw that she had relapsed, he admitted that he does develop emotional ties to the subjects that he is filming, but that he has the ability to stand back. However in the documentary there is a shot of him asking Why am I asking you to watch Nigel die? and he then says that Nigels wife, Kath, had wanted it to be shown so that the audience would be made fully aware of the consequences of alcoholism. The film probably brought him a lot of attention (both positive and negative), which means hes profited from filming his subjects problems. The way sounds from different moments would melt into each other reminded me of the background cacaphony of hospitals, with distant melodies of monisters, doctors and patients fusing. This sort of fly-on-the-wall documentaries and even reality tv shows have created are becoming more accepting of intruding on other peoples most intimate and private moments. Forum Member. (LogOut/ However to me I felt that this is in some sense of vital information that we needed as viewers to understand and try to identify and sympathize with the reasons to why this person relies on alcohol. Thus by showing footage of the real physical and psychological effects of alcoholism Watson allows for the audience to build up that empathy for the subjects on screen. Paul Watson has a lot to answer for (The Family probably started the reality trend) but Rain in my Heart made up for a lot. We as a audience get to see his family grieving him when he dies and more importantly we see his wife looking after him when he is in his worst state and also coping with his departure. It is not a pleastant sound. (LogOut/ This can be seen when Watson is speaking to Toni about her addiction, something that Toni profusely denies she is. Before i didnt know that alcoholism could lead to such a terrifying state and even death. There are only so many times we would need to see this clip before it becomes useless to the narrative, and is only trying to evoke fear in the audience as they start expecting, or even demanding, for the situation to suddenly become worse. Although uncomfortable to watch this shed some light if not clarity into the source of Vandas drinking. As with his other films, Watson established a relationship with the subjects during filming. The seriousness of the topic in the documentary is emphasised through the filmmakers intimacy and relationship with the subjects. Posts; 4,539. Throughout the documentary there are cut ins of Watson discussing ethical implications during the filming process. From a documentarians point of view, Watson did a remarkable job of exploring the brutality of a taboo subject, but from a moral standpoint, the filmmaker may not have been exploitative in his actions but he was definitely extreme. I think that the mutual awareness of the situation between subject and filmmaker, despite the subjects inebriation, helps to prove that it is not exploitative. Rain is a natural phenomenon that has extreme importance in human society. However, as I mentioned previously, Watson neither encourages nor halts the emotional stress of the patients, he simply asks them questions about their mental state and at times even asks the patients if they would prefer the camera to be turned off. Documentary which follows four alcohol abusers - Vanda, aged 43; Mark, 29; Nigel, 49 and Toni, 26 - from the impoverished Medway towns of north Kent. This is the only area where I can see possible wrongdoing on Watsons behalf. He would ask the interviewees why theyve relapsed or if they feel disappointed with their failed progress, but depending on the reaction to these questions, Watson would take a step back if he sensed it was in anyway emotionally challenging, until the subject would take control and continue/stop themselves. Explaining hell it is. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661761/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjy8Z1hK2wY, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/taking-it-off-for-the-holocaust, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LuFOX0Sy_o. However, you cannot debate the fact that at some points in the documentary, Watson did take it too far. It may be their escape from their issues, and what I think is also important to keep in mind is that if they are using alcohol for this reason, then it could have easily been any other drug. This for me over steps the boundaries of ethical filming. A prediction such as this can alter the way she behaves and this documentary is no longer just an observation of her progress. This makes me feel as though he almost abuses his subject. My beautiful wife, Denise . When researching the film I found a web page (which is a old BBC one). Rain in my heart; rain on the roof; And memory sleeps beneath the gray And the windless sky and brings no dreams Of any well remembered day. She was also married to him. I also think that it is not Pauls fault that these people after having a huge amount of alcohol could not control themselves: their speech, actions and emotions. Overall were the subjects happy to be on film? But that is not a bad thing. But for the families and subjects is must be/ must have been a very awkward experience even if they had consented to the film. To clarify, I dont think hes exploiting anyone in this film. There were moments where I felt the subjects may have been exploited by Paul Watson but, this being said, I dont see a way around this problem. Thus, having the camera in front of them made me feel that there was a sense of pressure on them to fulfil a certain image of an alcoholic. To apply this aestheticized approach to documentary, look at the trailer for The Imposter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LuFOX0Sy_o And it is also a good example to discuss the ethical issues in the documentary. The film charts the traumas faced by the alcoholics as they bounce between Gillingham Medway Maritime Hospital and their homes, and highlights the emotional impact their struggle has had on those around them. The veins in her legs have contracted because of alcohol, making walking difficult. BBC - Rain in My Heart Watch now This powerful documentary from fly-on-the-wall pioneer Paul Watson provides a raw account of four alcohol abusers from the impoverished Medway towns of north. So I didnt think that he has exploited his subject at all as this is what we as viewers needed to see. At this weeks lecture, the first slide read Documentary is most creditable when it comes as close as possible to the experience of someone actually there. Rain in my Heart (Full). Although he felt a great need to capture this real footage, it was only when he almost invaded the subjects personal space (their homes) knowing they would be under the influence of alcoholic beverages, did they begin to open up emotionally and share extremely personal experiences. Another was "drinking less" but needed a Zimmer frame with which to walk; she's 43. Covering Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, the valley . At one point it says: This type of documentary is not the best way to explain or explore alcoholisms origins. The subjects had all agreed to be filmed but the thought of switching the camera off and helping must have been fairly strong. It was really uncomfortable scene to me, Paul trully showed the seriousness of alcohalism and it must influence to the audience. I feel as though Watson was trying to be as ethical as possible, baring in mind his need to capture this shocking footage in order to create the Documentary. The earliest version to survive in the Bible is Mark 's Gospel. However, Watson once again denies accusations of exploitation for when he arrives at Vandas to see the door open and clarifies his reason for waiting by stating of course you wait, you dont just go in and more importantly, when the action begins to unfold with a drunken Vanda, Watson says that he must regain his job as someone there to just film what they do to their selves and reassures her that when she begins to talk delicately about her abusive past, that he will not use this footage in the future if she does not want to. This bereavement card features rain only over a tree with a figuring sitting beneath it. I doubt he would have filmed the subjects in these environments if he himself doubted they would drop their barriers. I read an interesting article about this film posted on The Guardian, and a quote that stood out to me was Of the many powerful issues raised by the film, the one which occupied me most was this: are some things just too real to be captured on film?. Want to save money? Half a bottle of vodka on the train to work at the age of 17 began Mark's journey into alcoholism. Chapter 1. Sometimes grief feels very isolating. Watson himself, also repeats that whilst he is filming them he will not intervene; it is his job purely to observe. The attempts to deal with these accusations are unsatisfactory as the unethical conduct exhibited in this film were necessary for the desired effect. Just finished it and I wonder what happened to Mark and Vanda. I do not think Paul Watson was exploitave in his filming. It is true that there are not many cut ins of his own questioning however Watson thought it be inappropriate to constantly show his own personal struggles when his subjects are undergoing way more traumatic psychological illnesses. It followed the treatment of four alcoholics in one NHS hospital in Kent (the only one that would let him in). As much as rain can cause happiness, there are times when this phenomenon can cause distress. 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