Painful portraits : responding to AIDS in Africa through humanistic engagement of images.

• Main Author: Yong, Hui Ying.
• Other Authors: Brian Keith Bergen-Aurand
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Mass media::Broadcasting::Motion pictures and films::Documentary
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/38730
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper is primarily interested in looking at how the documenting of AIDS in Africa constructs strong and impactful images that will affect the audience to react strongly in the emotional sphere, and thus, allowing the audience to experience the devastation that is caused by the disease. There are primary two methods in capturing the image of AIDS - the pluralistic and the humanistic approach. By employing the pluralistic approach, the audience is definitely exposed to perhaps, a wider experience and a more “effective way” in understanding the misery brought by AIDS. However, in responding to images of pain, do we seek effectiveness over the power to affect? Documenting AIDS in Africa is essentially a humanistic project – it seeks to invoke pity and compassion because pain is tragic, is miserable, and it unfortunately exists. And because of the large amount of humanity that is embedded in the motivation of documenting AIDS in Africa, should we not approach and engage in this subject in the most humanistic way we possibly can, and not only look, but also listen to the pain and suffering of African AIDS victims?