The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia

I loved the way this movie presented the controversy over Adams photographs by allowing the different perspectives to state their positions and impressions without interruption nor extraneous commentary. The film makers camera seems to pierce the photographs and show the context, which the still camera obscures. Children with facial disfigurements are photographed by Adams and frankly in these photos, they are uncomfortable to look at. But in this documentary, the subjects are seen playing and interacting with their family and their playful demeanour and the acceptance that they have from their family makes you not seem them as objects of pity. Despite this, it should be noted that this is not a hatchet job on Mr. Adams, and he is clearly given his space to speak and his arguments are valid and he is certainly not demonized. This is the genius of this movie; it moves from a specific example of possible misrepresentation of a group to analyze the relationship of artists and their subject. Fantastically subtle.