Community Chat

[Bird mama]

This probably isn't the right title for the thread but I didn't know what else to call it.  Have you ever watched a documentary about animals, say on PBS and wonder - why didn't the filmmaker intervene?

My mind understands the purpose of the documentary is to study animal behavior and learn.

My heart tells me it's a good thing I work in health insurance because I would be a failure in documentary filmmaking.

Last night I caught the end of a PBS film about wooing and mating rituals of animals.  I caught some of the footage on the blue footed boobies and learned they have affairs but stay together as a couple - I kind of chuckled.

The film then addressed animals that stay together for a lifetime and showed a flamingo pair.  All of the flamingos had flown the coup so to speak and one couple was left.  One of the flamingos was stuck in the mud and the other flamingo wouldn't leave it's mate.

I couldn't get to the clicker fast enough and the narrator said, the flamingo will not leave it's mate - not even till the end.

Although I don't talk to movie screens at theaters, I have been known to talk to my tv,lol.

I said, what?  It didn't have to be the end.  You were there with a camera and could have stopped filming and fetched that flamingo out of the mud.  Now one of them is sad and lost a mate because you did nothing.

Honestly - it ruined my night.

[Plaid Pants2]

Because for a human to intervine, wouldn't be natural. It's nature.

It isn't all cute and cuddly.

Nature can be cruel.

Such is life in the wild.

Survival of the fittest for the species.

[Puzzle Piece]

I want to believe that when the footage is shot and finished for the scene, the camera crew intervenes.  There's no wrong in doing such a thing.  We too are animals.  Just the the higher form - human. 

[ChynnaBlue]

A documentary is just that, a documentation of what actually happened. If you intervene and change what happens, it's fiction, like "reality TV" instead of a documentary.

Animals, all of us, die in real life. It's a journalists or a documentarian's role to record and report, not to change and fictionalize. I'm sure it's very difficult for the filmmakers, but their role is to show is what's true and what life is like outside of our own bubbles. That's a very important role because that's how people learn about the things that happen and maybe have some empathy, which you did. Objective accomplished.

[Bird mama]

Thanks for the responses.  As I stated in the original post, I know why they do it.  I asked if it ever bothers anyone else that they didn't intervene.

I think of countless times I've intervened with strays on the street.  Some could make the argument that they were wild/feral and it was just survival of the fittest playing out.  Not once did I feel that I upset the balance of nature and I would probably do it again if the opportunity presented itself.

I think I need to stay away from documentaries, lol.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[GingerPeach]

@Bird mama

While I agree that nature is nature, I think there's a difference between a human (documentarian or not) helping in a situation like the animal being stuck in the mud, and intervening during a time when one animal is hunting for its dinner.   I don't think they need to film the death of an animal that could have been saved from a situation like that.  It's easy enough to show the act of being caught in the mud, but there's no need to show the animal dying.  

In my view, it's no different than when a deer is rescued from an ice floe, or a dog saved from falling off a ferry boat, or oil-slicked or otherwise stranded birds taken to wildlife shelters, and other rescues that we see on the news all the time.  

[eddyandme]

That's why I NEVER watch those shows -- it's cruel, inhumane not to intervene anytime a person or animal needs help and everyone just stands by and does nothing

[DoneTryin]

I watched that, too, even though I've seen it before.  I do enjoy most programs about animals in the wild & admit to cringing at some things, like a predator getting a baby animal, etc.  It's always survival of the fittest.  Besides, all living creatures have to die eventually.  Your compassion is touching.

[ladyroxanne]

i'm sorry i opened this thread.  i know it's life, but there are things i choose not to know.

[Moonchilde]

Perhaps oddly, although I know it's  "real", etc., I would tend to feel that for something like the OP describes it would bother me MORE that they didn't intervene for something that would be a simple, quick, easy act that, let's face it, is not going to have serious consequences, than trying to intervene in a stalking/killing scenario, which is way more complicated and dangerous for the crew.