Creating An Emotional Distance

In class we discussed how the film industry approaches harsh topics, such as violence, sex, and death. I personally, very much enjoyed this discussion and the insights Leeper had to share with us. Leeper said something that really stuck out to me; "creating an emotional distance" allows us to have a conversation and approach these harsh topics. As I had blogged about, the film When Life Departs did exactly that, it presented the difficult topic of death in such a way that our emotions could be evoked but not in a way that the audience wants to stray from the topic. Leeper described animation as acting as the emotional barrier in its ability to "avoid the brutality of death without avoiding the conversation." No, he was not dissing other types of film such as documentaries or live action, he just suggested that for harsh topics, animation allows a type of innocence and more comforting approach. He then compared the emotional distance animation creates to the film we watched earlier Feather Tale, which highlights the effects of rape. Such a film I believe could not have been better captured with a medium other than animation without creating an awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere. Along the lines of protecting audiences and still informing on such topics, Leeper describes documentaries as providing a "voice to the voiceless." Documentaries allow for the expansion of such topics that many people stray from ever discussing. Personally, topics like these are often ones I would rather avoid, however animation eliminates my resistance to discuss them. This to me, highlights the reason for animation.