“I traffic in hope without the ability to know what will happen in the future.”
This line most definitely struck a cord with me. It forced me to truly consider the power of documentaries, and how so many have the potential to promote change through raising awareness; however, regardless of the how influential and captivating the statement of the documentary may be, it is unknown whether or not hope will prevail and change will occur.
The goal of many documentary makers is to bring to light topics or issues that many are unaware of, and thus to evoke a response from the viewers. There are some that emanate feelings of hope, leaving viewers with the belief that there will be progression made in the situation, while others end with no real “answer.” For this reason, this line resonated with me; it made me reflect on the fact that while we sit behind a computer screen or television in the comfort of our homes watching these films and experiencing emotional responses, these are all just moments of real stories with real people who often cannot escape their immediate situations. The most that documentarians can do is tell their story and hope to ignite change and promote action on the behalf of their subjects. As viewers, it is our duty to take the ideas and challenges presented to us and take action to advocate for change.