Abstract

This paper explores the value of visual records from natural disasters in assisting reconstruction, including photography, single-shot videos, and documentary movies. It considers three types of visual records related to the Great East Japan Earthquake: 1) raw data, 2) edited educational videos, and 3) commercial documentary films. It also considers the nature of disaster records and their repository medium, including digital data archives, public educational websites, and commercial networks. Furthermore, the authors consider the overlaps between these categories. Raw video records certainly meet the needs of either digital archives or documentary movies. However, commercial documentary movies form a category of their own, as copyright and scripts constrain their exploitation and manipulation. In conclusion, this paper identifies the merit of each type of visual record and argues that both are necessary for the social remembering of disasters and to help reconstruct communities affected by such events. Keywords: digital archives; films; disaster

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