The truth on fast forward

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 19

The truth on fast forward

Rarely does a documentary on current politics slow down enough to become anything more than and extended news item.

News an documentary editors for television are trained to provide us with "action highlights,” and all we have come to expect is a series of visually dramatic images on our screens. This is notably the case with reports on the Middle East I tuned in late to “Courage Along the Divide” and was immediately struck by the different look of a documentary that refused to rush. This Central Television production presented us with an entirely different view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

For one thing, what a change to witness a single ’ shot, taken with a handheld camera, of Israelis , and Palestinians planting and replanting olive trees together. The group cracked jokes, dug and . redug and ignored the jack-booted brigade, this time a belligerent Israeli , security guard, who vainly tried to rile the planters by pulling up the saplings. He was desperate for the . secure rules of confrontation.

The shot was long, wobbly and unedited. It was

very powerful, as well, because it was allowed to do something unusual. It showed us extended real time. All the little unprepossessing acts added up to an image of non-violent action. There was no confrontation or violence, nor any 10-second action suitable for transglobal distribution to add spice to network news.

Yet those repeated images of saplings planted and replanted as replacements for 30-year-old olives ripped out a week before had the power of allegory. They brought to mind the psalms and the

collective needs of both communities in Israel. The barren soil must bear fruit. The documentary image here affected me as strongly as any everyday news image of riot or conflict.

It just took up a lot more television time for its impact. For that reason alone it would have to be put on the lessnewsworthy shelf.

Later in the evening it was a quick scamper through a display of unequal media skills on “Te Kupenga.” Hone Kaa is an orator. Bob Jones is a TV communicator. On that skill alone he bombed all comers back into whimpers of “But, but, but

. ..” He knew when the mikes would pick up his asides and when to use the dramatic, don’t-give-me-that-nonsense, fourletter word. This is not debate. It does with sound-snips what film-editors do with shots of combat-zones. Verbal highlights, however, end up meaning even less than visuals.

I stuck it out stoutly for the second episode of the monumental Granada “End of Empire.” It is interesting to see some of the historical footage of India during World War Two.

These were the simpler

days of documentary, when newsreels were designed to be straightforward, inspirational propaganda. And propaganda was viewed as a good thing in the dark days when the British Empire film-makers saw their role as rebuilding Britain’s morale.

We were presented with images of the noble fiction of Imperial India: maharajahs and elephants, well-planned European-style vistas, exotic masses. And we were given expurgated newsreel versions of the uglier riots and civil disorder which challenged British control. We were told about some of what was not recorded at all.

What a contrast there was. There were the crisp, clean images of the pomp-and-circumstance newsreels, as at the wedding of the daughter of the viceroy. Then some wobbly home movies gave us glimpses of the unstaged political meetings where the really important things were going on.

Documentary has its part to play in keeping us all amused. But let’s remember that good-looking dramatic images don’t necessarily coincide with the really important events.