Documentry Filmaker
About me
Hi there!
Anjalee Lollbeeharry here. This blog details my deep-rooted passion for cinematography and storytelling by mere visuals. Seeking to use my knack for visuals, I want to create content that not only inspires me but incites emotions from viewers. The specificity of ‘documentary’ filmmaker stems from my love for documentaries, whether it be nature (especially sharks, another interest of mine) or even exposing the deep depths of the pharmaceutical industry, even true crime documentaries that make the mind race. Apple TV+ platform's TV shows are my prime beloved cinematographic gems. Having that ability to rouse people would be the utmost joy. Since I am currently undertaking a Logistics and Supply Chain Management degree, it enables me to have further insights into the underpinnings of critical supply chains and bring new perspectives on the underworking of our global environment, especially their role on ecology, societal impacts and their linkages to the political world.
Deeper insights
My Qualities
-
Curious
-
Open-minded
-
Adaptable (Open to a challenge)
-
Passion for continuous learning
-
Attentive to details
-
Deep consideration for ethics
-
Sense of cultural sensitivity
.jpg)
Passion stemming from watching tv shows, movies and documentaries
My passion for filmmaking comes from religiously watching movies, TV shows and documentaries ever since childhood. The visuals and storytelling intrigued me from a young age and are still persistent nowadays from nitpicking everything I watch. The above are some honourable mentions of things I have watched that I admire deeply.
Love for animals
A big part of what drew my attention to documentaries was my love for animals. From prehistoric animals to land animals to ocean animals, I watch many of these documentaries, my favourites being those from David Attenborough. The above shows some pictures during my trip to Rodrigues, during which much of the fascination was the cows on the island.
Passion for photography
Photography has been a big part of my childhood. That need to recall memories from pictures helps me express moments of my life better and share them with loved ones.
From these, a trend can be set forth whereby much of my passions fall into my love for nature. I wish to expand on this through various media created to depict sustainability concerns and put forward expert backed-up recommendations on how to remedy the situation for generations to come.
Deep consideration for ecology
Blog Posts
Have True-crime documentaries led to crime insensitivity?
_edited.jpg)
A topic that has been highly debatable online concerning crime documentaries has been the desensitization of crime as a result of increased traction towards this type of content. The repeated exposure to real-life violent actions demoralizes the suffering and trauma that victims face. The glamorization of criminals in documentaries has been conspicuous in heightening the suffering of victims and their families. The majority of true crime documentaries focus on the perpetrators rather than the victims, causing victims' stories to be overshadowed, leading to a lack of empathy. An example of this is the highly renowned Netflix Docu-Series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, where critics found that the series sectionalizes Dahmer’s crimes and even romanticizes and glorifies his actions. This series also re-traumatized the family members of the victims due to no prior consent or notification about the production of the series and dramatized depiction of their loved ones’ stories. Additionally, producers also took on significant artistic liberties, which distorted and misrepresented true events.
However, true crime series can also help depict systemic racism, especially with law enforcement in their racial biases. This is again seen in the Jeffrey Dahmer series, where the victims, young men of colour, were failed by the justice system through their lack of urgency and thoroughness in investigating their prior disappearances. It also pinpointed the systemic issues of law enforcement towards the marginalized LGBTQ+ community, where a lot of victim-blaming occurred. Moreover, true crime documentaries can be an educational tool for viewers, especially on the importance of forensic science, preserving and avoiding potential contamination of evidence. True crime documentaries have also helped open up cold cases and solve unsolved cases, as in the case of the HBO series The Jinx, where Durst, the criminal, was heard through a hot mic making incriminating statements, which aided in his arrest and conviction. Social media interlinkages with True-crime series can also help generate public pressure on law enforcement and the legal system to reexamine cases, which could lead to new developments.
Therefore, as an aspiring filmmaker, ethical dilemmas must be considered. There is a need to have prior informed consent from victims and their families for the latter to understand exactly how their story will be used without it feeling exploitative. Depicting the true events without dramatization, with its nuances, is essential when discussing cases with life-altering implications. It is the filmmaker’s duty to provide information in an ethical and accurate manner so that deep underpinnings of legality, social issues and psychological factors can be truly depicted and conveyed. As a viewer as well, there is a duty to keep compassion at the forefront and remember that these are people's real-life occurrences.
