Stranger with a Camera

In the documentary of "Stranger with a camera" Elizabeth Barrett seems to be pointing out the poverty issues in Kentucky and the media's attention toward the poor and how it "must be shown". Children of Kentucky were generally poor and had raggedy clothes, they we're hungry and sometimes bored. When Film makers caught children eating dirt, they assumed it was because they were hungry when in fact they were just being kids. Some believe that "suffering becomes worth a good image". In Elizabeth Barretts documentary she seems to point out the key factors associated in documentary, media, and film making when dealing with the attention span towards being able to show off other people's issues rather than ones own. In the documentary I noticed that hobert was still praised for even after the murder, "Hobert came from a community tht loved him and even loved him after he killed somebody". At Hoberts trial he continued to say that he shot Hugh O' Conner out of pure self defense. I think that both Hugh and Hobert were wrong in the situation, it could have easily been avoided and Hugh could have asked for Hoberts permission in shooting the documentary on Hoberts property. Hobert could have denied Hugh and nothing could have happened, but it didn't happen that way. The people of Kentucky wanted to continue to live the "American Dream" which was simply just happiness, and comfort. The people of Kentucky didn't care whether they had a low paying job as long as they knew the value of the things they worked for and worked hard to get themselves where they're at today. Photography is what makes art today, and even if that means showing off the flaws off todays social, and environmental change then that calls for great photography and film making. When dealing with film and the media, some take advantage of the fact that they have a camera in their hands and don't consider that people don't necessarily want to be seen on film as being "poor" and "low class" because of the embarressment and shame it causes, much like Hobert in the documentary. People loved Hobert, and Hobert simply didn't want to be humiliated on film. Hugh was a film maker and probably never thought about the way film could hurt familes and make them feel ashamed for all they have worked for.