The Autobiographical Mode

The autobiographical mode put the filmmaker as the subject, its his/her own life who is in display and because of that the subjectivity of the work is put into question. For some, this mode could be one of the most reliable ones because is the subject telling their own story and for others it could be one of the least trustworthy of the modes. The documentaries that we watched show how these two point of views can be valid.

Nichols on his book talks about constructing national identity, and quoted Marx “ They [the working class] cannot be represent themselves; they must be represented.” Adapting this to film, this means that people in a documentary cannot represent themselves as the subject because they are not going to be in a reliable position to tell their own stories-They are too involved. Then Nichols explained how this may vary trough history and from different film directors. It is also the case of the reading of Fox that speak about the film Tongues Untied and the difficulties that the director had to face to broadcast his documentary. Riggs [director of Tongues Untied] would become the face of the gay black rights during this time. During this period people from the outside misrepresent Riggs work and because of that he was not able to show his film.

The films that we watched in class also portrait the differences of how this representation of the “self” can become a powerful influence in society.  The clip of Roger and Me became a big influence for people in Michigan and in any place were many workers would loss their jobs.  The autobiographical approach validates the story, Michael Moore never worked for General Motors, but all his family did. He grew up with a community that was influenced by this company. His point of view reinforced the information that he is presenting through his own experience with the subject.  On the other hand, the example of History and Memory:  For Akiko and Tagashige would show the effort of the filmmaker to understand her history and the historical interest of the Japanese concentration camps in the United States. Although she is talking about her ancestries, for me it didn’t quiet work, I believe is because she wasn’t completely in the situation to tell me the story from the inside.  Because of this, it was hard for me to connect with the subject and his philosophical approach of the memories she has about her own life story. I believe the director didn’t intend to do this film for a universal audience, but one who could be involved in this matter.

Others examples that we watched I believe were very edgy and unique, still effective. Is the case of the female director Sadie Begging and Jonathan Caouette  who put themselves in a completely vulnerable place .  Both used a unique and original approach to tell their own story, still both put into question important questions about social relevance on the American family stereotypes. 

In conclusion, Nichols and Fox would examine how this genre influenced film and the pros and cons of this mode.  The autobiographical mode represents the filmmaker as a anchor of its subject and with that depending on how he/she represents him/her self as reliable source or simply a story teller of his own thought and opinions.