Beyond the frame: researching documentary ethics

Questions of ethics remain central to documentary practice and scholarship. In spite of the growth of literature dealing with the subject, documentary ethics remains a field characterised by a focus on crises and the application of mutliple ethical theories and concepts. This discussion considers the empirical study of documentary practice as a foundation for ethical discussion. Given the changing nature of documentary it is suggested that a notion of good practice can best be developed by considering the experiences of those involved. Beyond the Frame is an ongoing research project that seeks to understand the experience of documentary participants and the relationship they develop with documentary filmmakers. As more filmmakers embrace interactive modes of documentary, the relationship they develop with participants becomes critical to ethical discussion. This paper will present the results of studies completed to date and outline some future directions.