Wolfpack and the ethics of documentary filmmaking (2015) is an academic article written by Steve Thomas, a film and television lecturer from the University of Melbourne. It discusses the ethical concerns and considerations of documentary filmmakers, particularly through the context of the film, The Wolfpack (Moselle, 2015).

Thomas questioned whether the choice to tell the narrative in chronological order, rather than in in order of filming. Moselle only met the Angulo brothers after they were all leaving the apartment, and she didn’t know the true story of their upbringing for a few months into their friendship; where the film is structured and edited as if the confinement was still ongoing at the time, particularly when home video footage is combined with re-enactments and interviews. Moselle admitted “I wanted to see a transformation in my characters” (Film at Lincoln Center, 2015), though the idea of adding a storyline to a documentary is a questionable ethical decision.

Other editing decisions were also scrutinised, particularly how the soundtrack and lighting affected the overall tone and mood of the film. Showing otherwise happy home movies in slow motion with a dark soundtrack was a way to make the film more sinister than it would’ve been if the footage was played normally.

In contrast to critics like Paul Byrnes (2015), Thomas believes that the ethical impact of scenes that were potentially staged – such as the scene where the brothers go to a private cinema screening – were benign, because “Filmmaking is a catalyst and we all indulge in a degree of engineering, even in the strictest of fly-on-the-wall approaches” (Thomas 2015).

I agree with most of Thomas’ arguments, though I believe that he needed to better scrutinise the position that Moselle had taken. I found the many things were glossed over, such as Oscar’s alcoholism and violence. Thomas’ dismissal of this, his reason being that other films had also done this, is inadequate.

Thomas’ take on the editing was particularly` clear to me, as to me, Moselle’s editing wouldn’t be out of place of an episode of Today Tonight and A Current Affair, to make a subject more sinister than it is.

For audiences, however, using a chronological timeline for the film would more likely be easier to understand than the order of her relationship with the Angulo brothers.

References:

Byrnes, P 2015, ‘The Wolfpack review: a confronting and confounding true story’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 August, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-wolfpack-review-a-confronting-and-confounding-true-story-20150826-gj7tys.html#ixzz3lEfFYG7k>

Thomas, S 2015, ‘Wolfpack and the ethics of documentary filmmaking’, The Conversation, 14 September, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://theconversation.com/wolfpack-and-the-ethics-of-documentary-filmmaking-47086>

Film at Lincoln Center 2015, ‘The Wolfpack Q&A | Crystal Moselle & The Angulo Brothers’, YouTube, 22 June, viewed 14 November 2019, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLzem1RT4U>

I watched Crystal Moselle’s 2015 film, The Wolfpack. It followed the lives of the Angulo family, who were confined to a New York City apartment by their paranoid patriarch, with movies as their only connection to the outside world. The main subjects of the film were six brothers, Bhagavan, Govinda, Jagadisa, Krsna, Mukunda, and Narayana. Their parents, Susanne and Oscar, and sister, Visnu, appeared briefly in the film.

The brothers would often perform elaborate re-enactments of their favourite films in their apartment, building their own props and costumes from objects found around the house. The most notable example was Mukunda’s Batman costume constructed from cereal boxes, yoga mats and masking tape.

The most interesting thing about The Wolfpack was how well adjusted the brothers were, despite their sheltered upbringing. While there were obviously some issues when they first started leaving the apartment; such as Mukunda wearing a Michael Myers mask on his first outing, which eventually raised suspicion from the shopkeepers and police; they were quickly able to adapt to their newfound freedom, and went out together, often dressed in suits and sunglasses – emulating Reservoir Dogs (1992), one of the brothers’ favourite films.

I also thought it was interesting – and possibly difficult – for Moselle to portray the Angulo family in a neutral light. Many other filmmakers would be more likely to set the children up as victims, but instead, they’re shown as intelligent individuals coming of age, and making the best of a bad situation. While Oscar’s violence, alcoholism and mental illness were mentioned, they were never examined in depth. Oscar attempted to defend himself in his interviews, saying that he was doing it for protection, but it was neither shown as accurate or disingenuous.

While there were many compelling scenes in The Wolfpack, the one that moved me the most was where Govinda moved out of home. His excitement of escaping from the apartment was very moving, and showing him looking out of his new window made a great contrast to looking out the window in the apartment. Another element I found effective was the juxtaposition of family home movies throughout the film, as it played as a contrast to many of the darker things that were said.

References:

The Wolfpack 2015, streaming video, Magnolia Pictures, New York City, viewed 7 November 2019, <https://rmit.kanopy.com/video/wolfpack>

Buckley, C 2015, ‘Brothers of ‘The Wolfpack’ Step Out of Their World’, The New York Times, 14 June, viewed 10 November 2019, <https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/movies/the-wolfpack-brothers-step-out-of-their-world.html>

Garcia-Vasquez, M 2015, ‘Talking to ‘The Wolfpack’ Brothers About DIY Designer Props’, Vice, 25 June, viewed 12 November 2019, <https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/3d5pp3/talking-to-the-wolfpack-brothers-about-diy-designer-props>

I enrolled in Real to Reel because I had become curious about non-fiction production and wanted to learn about the different types of non-fiction work, and the difference in techniques between non-fiction and narrative work.

While I was initially apprehensive about enrolling into Real to Reel, due to the open-ended nature of the studio; I realised that it would an opportunity to learn planning strategies for films. The studio also has the potential to help me build confidence in creating media without external pressure.

When I think of non-fiction media – especially film, I find myself automatically thinking of documentaries rather than other genres, even though there are many others. I guess it would be like saying that the only form of media is film. I’m looking forward to exploring and experimenting with the different genres during the studio.

I am also interested in learning how to work with different types of media. Like many creative people, I like the idea of experimenting with different methods and formats; and being able to relate different forms into a single concept seems like an interesting challenge. Having used the X70 cameras while filming MyTV, I would say that I’m proficient with using them, but I feel like I need more practice editing, especially colour grading.

I know that I need more practice in reflective writing, and my goal is to be able to not only be able to write reflectively, but also to be more confident in my writing. It can be hard to be candid at the best of times, but I often feel like I have trouble opening up about even the most mundane things.

A less obvious thing is that in class, I will meet other like-minded people who could be interested in collaborating on personal projects with me, and possibly even become friends.