Making One Blood: A journey through participatory radio documentary production

Abstract

ABSTRACTDocumentary production can pose complex ethical challenges for makers, especially when working cross-culturally. In Australia there is a long history of troubling relationships between (usually white) documentary makers and Indigenous people where powers and possession of stories emerge as a contentious issue. Through the experience of producing a radio documentary, this article explores how documentary makers can develop collaborative relationships between the producer and participants that enable participants to share control of the process of telling their story and feel connected to their mediated representations. The documentary tells the story of Aboriginal rights activist William Cooper, who in 1938 led a protest against the persecution of Jews during Kristallnacht. In doing so he became one of the only people around the world to formally protest against the beginnings of the Holocaust. Weaving perspectives from descendents of William Cooper and members of Australia's Jewish community, this practice provides a model for working with survivor and other communities to promote the importance of collaborative and respectful media and research practices.