Tony Buba's Documentaries

1. How has art been used to visualize and/or call our attention to the power of ideas/peoples/histories/politics that we would not have access to in an official kind of way? Give an example.
Official information lays out objective facts that are chosen to be publicized. Art allows the many viewpoints of one event or place to be expressed allowing the viewer to interpret it themselves. Also it draws in various types of people not just history buffs for example but those who want the pieces for artistic value and gain knowledge as well.
An example of this would be Buba’s documentary on the steel mill closing although the documentary had a comic style it was getting personally viewpoints from people on the closing of the mill and the effect it would have on them. If you were to look up the closing say from town record it would most likely not mention the effects it had on the local people.

2. Why do you think Tony Buba chose to do a film about the places, histories, and people of Braddock instead of paint a picture or snap a photo? How does his medium (film) provide him with a different kind of voice?
I think Tony Buba chose Braddock because he had personally history there. He also knew that just like an individual’s history cannot be captured in one photo neither can a towns. A single picture cannot tell an entire story. It may tell of a specific place in time or an event and may be able to capture the emotion but it would not be able to capture the history and experiences of the many citizens of Braddock.
The medium of film provides Buba with not only his voice but the entire towns. Since the film includes the everyday people of Braddock it is not just how Buba sees the town and interprets its history it is the actually people of the town. Where as a painter paints what he sees or feel Buba is merely acting as a mouth piece for the people of Braddock.

3. What do you think is moving and/or powerful about the content of the film and the manner in which it is presented? How are Tony Buba’s films different from National Geographic and/or other kinds of historical documentaries?
The parts of Buba’s documentaries that I found moving were the struggles of the people, such as the kids showing him to the destroyed school house, and the downfall of a once prosperous town. However I also found the unity and nostalgia for Braddock very powerful as if it would bring hope for a rebuilding of the town that once was.
I haven’t seen many documentaries of National Geographic or otherwise, but Buba’s documentaries were not just facts upon facts or a timeline of events. It incorporated the past, the present, and hopes for the future. But most importantly the film maker didn’t script the story Buba let the town and the people tell the story themselves.

4. How do you think the ‘everyday’ is used in Tony Buba’s films? Why do you think he chooses to film everyday people and places?
Everyday is used to create familiarity for the viewers; it allows the everyday people to relate to the everyday situations. Also it allows for the true story of the town to be heard. In most films the wealthy and elite are normally the ones interviewed and featured in films but this is allowing for a more accurate picture of the town since most towns are majorly made up of everyday people.

5. If you could produce a similar film on a particular place, what would it be about? What particularities would you show? What histories would you expose? Who would you interview?
I would do a film on South County, Rhode Island. I would make sure I showed the founding and building of the area, the expansion and significant events that greatly influenced the development; such as the separation of South Kingstown and Narragansett (now rivals). The histories I would expose would include territory disputes with the Narragansett Indians, the burning down of the casino, and the prominent family histories. For this film I would interview older generations to see how it has change, young kids to get their take on the county, as well as prominent figures such as the mayor.