Ethical Issues in Documentary Filmmaking - A Case Study of DR's Generation Hollywood

Abstract: This thesis focus on ethical issues within documentary filmmaking in the largest broadcasting institution in Denmark. It is a case study of the documentary serial Generation Hollywood, produced by Danmarks Radio (DR) in 2016. DR has produced many documentaries, using same style and format as in Generation Hollywood. But something is different with this one, and the thesis aims to find out why this one stands out, from the presumption that ethical issues are involved. It examines the participants’ motives and expectations, DR’s intentions and how ethical issues affected the final product. In the attempt to understand the complexity of ethics, a small sample of interviews are conducted and analyzed and presented together with a partial content analysis. The notions of truth, authenticity, and representation are applied as the theoretical framework to understand: not merely ethical procedures, but underlying feelings possessed by the participants.The thesis brings to light that ethical issues are not only embedded in already established procedures but also caused by unforeseen circumstances and participants’ motives in relation to the project. The research shows how ethical issues affect the final representation, especially concerning authenticity. It also shows how a discrepancy between intentions and expectations, and the understanding of truth (in its start-up phase) impacts the process. Furthermore, it concludes that entertainment demands and modern technology can affect how filmmakers treat people when representing them and it explains how the line between the modern ‘everyday life’ documentary and Reality TV is seemingly blurred.