Documentary Testimonies: Global Archives of Suffering

Documentary Testimonies: A Critical Examination of Audiovisual Practices. This collection of essays explores documentary films that compel us to bear witness and mobilize action. Through ten new analyses, it examines the technologies, forms, and institutions of audiovisual testimony, as well as their limitations and potentialities. The volume focuses on the generation and use of testimony by public administrators, human rights activists, filmmakers, and others involved in environmental justice and social advocacy. The essays delve into archives of social suffering tied to specific locations, including Cambodia, Chiapas, Darfur, India, Indonesia, Korea, New Orleans, Norway, Rwanda, South Africa, and Washington, DC. By investigating testimony as a social practice, this volume aims to shed light on the critical role that documentary films play in public records and commemoration. Through its interdisciplinary approach, Documentary Testimonies offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding audiovisual testimony and its impact on our understanding of social suffering.