In my midterm paper I reflected on some ideas from the Center for Digital Storytelling in that they claimed that the human emotion of storytelling, opposed to the doom and gloom often presented within the context of environmental issues, is what makes people connect to an issue. I have to say, that while the bear in Bear 71 may not be human, the very unique approach to storytelling from the perspective of this specific bear, certainly enhances the possibility for an emotional connection.
Frankly, this project blew me away. I have a vague recollection of another project we visited this term, talking about interactive documentaries that provide audiences an opportunity to choose an ending, but this online interactive map experience combined with live footage, is like nothing I’ve experienced with a documentary before. The film places the viewer within the territory of bear 71, allowing the viewer to be part of the terrain and tracking deployed by the wildlife conservation program while simultaneously being presented with a narration about the issues faced by the bear in regards to the increased human presence from tourism.
As the PBS website points out, this really is a “haunting story about the way humans, technology and animals interact”. While the story directly shows the impacts of tourism on wildlife areas, it’s not hard to see that the underlying examination is in its using surveillance in the supposed name of protection. This project was possible in this digital presentation due to the large amounts of data available on the bear. With so much surveillance in our human lives, it’s curious how much data there is on each of us. Could it be possible to create a 20-minute documentary on every member of society? Where would that data come from, who collected it, what would it say and even more disturbing is wondering how did that data even get collected in the first place?
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