The Bang Bang Club: Duty vs humanity

What comes first to a journalist, photographer or such other media person? Is it his/her duty as a professional or humanity? This is not an easy question to answer. The famous case is that of Kevin Carter and his Pulitzer Prize winning picture of a Sudanese girl and the vulture that was waiting to devour her. The picture, even as it won the coveted award, raised many questions as to the ethics of journalism in general and photo journalism in particular. Apparently, Kevin Carter made sure not to disturb the vulture, lest it should fly and he lose a ‘precious moment’. 

 Kevin Carter's Pulitzer Prize winning picture

Kevin Carter

Director: Steven Silver

Film Clip

Kevin Carter’s story is part of the film The Bang Bang Club (2010). The film as such is about a group of press photographers who covered the South African ethnic violence in the early 1990s. They were exceptional photographers who made news all over the world with their rare pictures taken in highly dangerous terrains of human violence. The film quite simply portrays the risk that a committed photo journalist takes just to get that ‘precious picture’. At the same time, of course, it raises questions in the minds of the audience as to why one has to push himself so hard – is it for the glory that his work would eventually bring or genuine concern for humanity? The girlfriend of one of the photographers puts it depressingly straight across to him: “May be you have to be like that to do what you do. I think you have to forget that they are real people!” Do journalists, press photographers, broadcast journalists lose their humanity in the din of getting those crucial bites and moments? The film might just throw some light on the subject. The film, though, is quite engaging and full of action throughout. 

- Melwyn Pinto SJ

Guzaarish: Seeking right to die!

If someone has a right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, does that person also have a right to die? That is the issue around which the film Guzaarish (2010) revolves. The film seems to be dealing with the subject of euthanasia. However, it is much more than that. It raises several issues such as a person’s dignity to life, which also involves dignity to die; not to mention the issue of putting an end to the prolonged suffering. 

Director: Sanjay Leela Bansali

Film Clip

The protagonist of the film Ethan Mascarenhas in his earlier days used to be a magician. However, a near fatal accident de-capacitated him completely. He became paralysed, save for his head. A dedicated nurse Sofia (Aishwarya Rai), just now makes sure that Ethan lives with dignity. However, she is not able to reduce his mental agony of being a vegetable from a state of country’s topmost magician. And this leads him to make that tough decision to appeal for euthanasia. Heated discussions within and outside court take place as regards the validity of the appeal and the uniqueness of the case. All of that indeed makes for some very exciting debating, besides stimulating the mind with nuanced insights. However, the court cannot really break from the law of the land. Can it?

The film has some very high octave performances by Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, besides others. While the film itself is quite moving, making us see the point of the protagonist, it sure leads us to some serious reflection. Of course only if we go beyond the film’s exquisite embellishments of sets and costumes. Full marks to Sanjay Leela Bansali!

- Melwyn Pinto SJ