Sir, – Diarmaid Ferriter makes an important point about the risks and rewards when filmmakers represent historical episodes (“Ridley Scott’s crude dismissal of historians is galling”, November 17th). While non-fiction filmmaking has more of a claim to authenticity, his points are equally valid.
The documentary filmmaker, like the historian, brings their own positionality, perspective and decision-making to the construction of the record. If the negotiations with the participants in the film, and also the audience, are transparent and accountable, not always the case, this usually helps achieve a degree of acceptability for all. – Yours, etc,
CAHAL McLAUGHLIN,
Professor of Film Studies,
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School of Arts,
English and Languages,
Queen’s University Belfast.