Where others intuitively run towards safety, the documentary filmmaker and journalist run toward danger, because both take on the burden and the privilege of keeping the public informed. Repeatedly witnessing trauma, like trauma itself, takes its toll, filmmakers and journalists are increasingly realizing. The cost is not limited to a film’s director, but to the entire team that works intimately with troubling material throughout the production process. Especially vulnerable are practitioners with their own experiences of trauma that can be amplified by emotionally difficult stories.
This workshop will explore the internal cost of bearing witness to deep suffering, and the responsibility journalists and filmmakers have to themselves and others. It will provide anecdotal and practical tools for building a self-care plan from artists on the frontlines and leaders in trauma training at Columbia Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.