bearing witness
Pip Starr
Melbourne documentary maker Pip Starr left us too early, but he left us well
One of the biggest myths about photography is that "the camera never lies". But we well know that in fact it often does, especially in an age when what is taken in through the viewfinder is just the precursor to a series of computer-graphic or editorial tricks and techniques. It's the photographer who decides whether to tell the truth of what they see through the lens; whether to document or fictionalise.
Making honest and unembellished documentaries, especially about controversial topics, requires courage, persistence and passion. Pip Starr, the Melbourne-based social activist and filmmaker who sadly passed away at the young age of 40 in January this year, was one of the most courageous, persistent and passionate documentary makers Australia has produced.
Pip focused his camera on pressing social and environmental issues of our time, documenting the struggle against uranium mining in Kakadu, protests at the Woomera Detention Centre and in the East Gippsland rainforests, the plight of the Carteret Islanders who face the loss of their homes and communities as the sea levels rise, and the poverty-stricken coffee bean growers of Central and South America.
Bearing witness, he and his fellow documentary makers show us the truth and unravel for us the complexities of our global community. They become our eyes and our ears, giving us the real news of the day. As Pip's sister Jennie Hill says, "the power of moving pictures is truly awesome in the hands of a committed and compassionate person."
Read Jennie's moving tribute to her brother here
This Saturday 20 December from 4.30pm (Pip's birthday), ACMI presents a special screening of Pip Starr's documentary works, including Fight for Country: The Story of the Jabiluka Blockade, Through the Wire, and the Okapa Connection. The screenings will be introduced by Gary Foley and Dave Sweeney (Australian Conservation Foundation).
Many of Pip's family, friends and colleagues have sent in touching tributes and remembrances to ACMI, to mark this screening. You can read them all here
For the full screening details click here
Published Thursday, 18 December 2008
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