Media Reflection #4

 Representation and Responsibility: Reflecting on My Role as a Filmmaker

        As a filmmaker, I have a certain responsibility regarding the portrayal of people and communities on film. Cinema is not only a source of enjoyment for the masses. Cinema is a form of storytelling that can craft the perceptions and identities of the audiences that watch the films. This ability to craft certain perceptions has made me realize the responsibility that comes with the production of this form of media.

        What I do believe is that there is a certain responsibility that filmmakers have to accurately and respectfully represent groups of people. Of course, a film can't represent a group of people, but it is a choice that filmmakers make on what kind of stories are told and from what point of view. Inaccurate and stereotypical representation of groups of people tends to give people ideas, while accurate and respectful representations can help people empathize with an experience that they might otherwise never have.

        There are a great many instances of good representation to reflect upon. One of the movies that I find to be particularly significant with respect to good representation is "Moonlight," which features a well-developed character portrayal of a young, gay African American man who comes from a background of growing up in Miami. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" features a well-developed, representative portrayal of an Asian American family that feels multi-faceted and human, with a complex character set that includes shortcomings and a great deal of love as an easily definable trait, as they are defined well past simple labels or shallow conventions.

        Nevertheless, there are some negative instances that showcase the importance of the role of responsibility in representation. Old movies, for example, are riddled with racial, gender, or cultural stereotypes for either the purpose of comedy or convenience. The characters were merely left with overblown qualities instead of fleshed-out personalities. This includes more contemporary movies where the presence of representation can sometimes feel performative, where the issue of diversity is merely included for the sake of the narrative.

        This is what I am grappling with as a filmmaker. I have to consider the kind of stories I want to make and how I want to make them. I might not always want to make a particular story. This is what being a responsible filmmaker means. Researching and learning from lived stories on the subject of my film is part of being responsible.

        In the long run, I believe that representation in movie-making is a process that one continuously needs to learn. There may be mistakes made by many filmmakers, but the intention and process still matter. Going forward, I hope that I can be more mindful of how things that I do in filmmaking may have an impact on other people. I do not hope to give “perfect” representation but simply tell stories that regard people as more than symbols or ideals.