Week 4: Presentation 'Divorce Iranian Style' Observational Mode

Divorce Iranian Style.

(Kim Longinotto, 2002)

Observational Mode

In 1960’s “The camera and tape freely

moved to record what happened as it happened”

The filmmaker observes what happens in front of the camera.

No voiceover to address the viewer directly (like the expository mode)

The viewers reach to their own conclusions depending on what they see (Active viewers)

Directed by Kim Longitto and Zib Mir Hosseini

Her films usually focused on issues concerning women.

The film explores five cases of five different women that are seeking divorce.

It shows the reality of how the legal system affects people’s lives.

Minimal voice-over that was used to state facts (woman narrator)

showed iranian women (middle eastern) differently. 24:40

Sometimes we hear the voices of the filmmakers interacting with the participants. 26:19

And sometimes the participants speak to the filmmakers?... Or to the camera directly 22:43

“We look in on life as it is lived.”

- Nichols, Bill (2001)

Relating to the work of the Italian Neo-realists (1944-1952) the characters within the documentary are caught up in “pressing demands or a crisis of their own”. However… these are not actors- the “at the keyhole” style of observatory mode does not take away the fact that the filmmaker is intruding on the lives and conflicts of her/his subjects.

The filmmaker as a director chooses specific subjects. Although the film is observational: meaning to watch life as it unfolds- this style in ‘Divorce Iranian style’ portrays features of ethnographic film making using ‘cultural phenomena’ which for a western audience-  is very alien.

HOWEVER...

'Divorce Iranian Style' through our analysis of the film, we discovered that although it does use observational aspects of documentary film mode, the way in which the film maker chooses to use the clips where the participants and film-maker are clearly converising and developing a relationship shows us that intact, it is participatory mode. 

Kim Longinotto shows the audience her relationship with the participants purposefully to highlight the power of the judge. The Judge has allowed them to come into his court and film- the Judge holds absolute power. Using participatory mode the audience get to witness more honestly the mood and atmosphere of the room through the film maker as a part of the participation.