Last night I hosted book club to discuss The Tattoist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. A thought-provoking evening but one question stood out for me above the rest: do story tellers (in any medium) have a responsibility from an ethical and social standpoint to portray real life atrocities in a factually correct manner and with respect? To what extent should they be supported to fictionalise for dramatic gain and where do you draw the line?
The James Bulger short film Detainment crosses that line for me. It sympathises with the killers and unnecessarily re-enacts harrowing scenes. The documentary producer had the opportunity to consult with the Bulger family but chose not to. I would have strongly advised them that they should – there are not just legal considerations to consider when creating programmes and films based on true life events but ethical and moral ones too.
Despite pleas from the Bulger family, sadly the Academy has confirmed that Detainment will remain nominated for an Oscar in the best live action short category. Our industry shouldn’t support or celebrate those that show such insensitivity or seek to profit from such misfortune. There are other ways to entertain people.
What do you think?
