Data and documentaries: Methodological hybridizations in activism

• DOI: 10.1386/cjcs_00035_1
• Publication Date: 2020-12-01T13:33:06Z
• Authors: Miren Gutiérrez
• Keywords: Tragedy (event)

Hybridization permeates all fields of communication: documentaries are no exception. One example is The Left-to-Die Boat by Forensic Architecture (FA), an audio-visual account how 63 refugees lost their lives in 2011 when ship was adrift the waters Libya. combines documentary techniques with data analysis and visualizations to expose a tragedy, change migration policies sustain court cases. Based on critical studies, this article inspects methodological hybridization proposed FA six documentaries. questions are: does hybridize? What outcomes hybridization? today? links these documentaries’ characteristics functions outcomes, offering taxonomy that can be employed beyond study. findings indicate activism taking multidimensional forms, blurring boundaries separating documentaries, science art search impact.