I’m intrigued by discussion on a fellow filmmakers FB page. It has to do whether filmmakers should be responsible for the messages audiences take from their movies. I’m a little conflicted about this, being a strong advocate for moral responsibility in filmmakers. For instance, I don’t think you can make a film about violence being an aphrodisiac without recognising that some people are going to take that as condoning their sick and exploitative behaviour. I’ve seen too many directors ducking for cover – unconvincingly, to my mind. We all contribute to how society is, and those who have the opportunity to influence public opinion should have some accountability for how they do so.

On the other hand, we don’t make movies as propaganda (or those of us who care about cinema don’t!).  We do it to tell stories – the oldest of humankind’s communal crafts. The forms of storytelling have evolved over the millennia, with film being simply the most prevalent and powerful in this age. The beauty of stories is that essentially they are non-didactic – they don’t have morals or patronising lessons at the end (please God, Hollywood, listen). Rather they invite people on a journey, and preserve the freedom of the hearer (or watcher) to decide whether that’s a journey they want to go on or not. An audience member is able to opt out at any point, and to do so without leaving the theatre. What they take from the story is a mysterious mix of elements – what they bring to the story in the first place, how far they are willing to travel with it, and what connections the story makes between their own lives, those of the characters, and the world which embraces both.

There is no such thing as a ‘true’ story. Even fly-on-the-wall reality programmes are scripted and edited. As soon as a story is told, it becomes a fiction of sorts – in that it is a selective presentation of events. As they say, the one who tells the story controls the history. But in another profound sense, all stories are true. They are true because they engage us, and touch the heart of who we are and the world we are shaping. A story can create a truth, or as easily destroy one. Myths and legends have played that role for centuries. When one myth begins to displace another (eg science vs theism), the consequences can be profound and world-changing.

So what is the responsibility of the filmmaker? I believe it is to bring whatever truth and honesty and goodness they can to the telling of their story. It is not to tell people how to think or how to act or what to believe. It’s to open the door to a different world and invite the audience to travel with them through that door. It may all be fiction – but it’s either good fiction or bad fiction.

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