“…certain things I just cannot say...”: Consent, disclosure, and self-presentation: towards documentary participants’ responsibilities

When individuals say ‘yes’ to participating in a documentary film, such affirmations are often discussed as one-time-only instances of consent, usually underlined by the signing of some contract. Such contracts are then believed to specify the control of the use of the filmed material, and thus put this in the hand of the filmmaker(s).
However, participation is motivated. Participants decide again and again whether they want to participate in the filming of specific shots and scenes, based on considerations of what serves their interests. They decide what to show and tell, they discuss the use of footage with the filmmaker, and thus shape their own disclosure in the process. In the everyday practice of documentary filmmaking, participants continually negotiate their consent and disclosure. This makes documentary participation a process of active self-presentation rather than just passive re-presentation.
The nature of documentary filmmaking, and the relationship between filmmakers and participants, has fostered a lively and ongoing debate on documentary ethics. Understanding ethics as practical philosophy, concerning the question of what is the right thing to do and what it should be based on, any ethical discussion should include a consideration of the practice involved. Based on four case studies I argue that a proper understanding of the documentary practice, including the self-presentation of documentary participants, merits different ethical questions, one of which examines the participant’s responsibility in the process of documentary filmmaking.