ARCHIVAL HUNTING

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE HUNTING

Viewing published documentaries aiming at searching for misused archival footage ,is a private sport of mine. My goal for the sport is to highlight active use of audiovisual archives. The content of the documentaries is important. Facts, photos and films presented must show events in a correct way. Last evening I viewed a documentry dealing with famous American generals from the Second World War. The movies are all made for information of the war. The content of the films portrayed the generals in positive way. My main concern was the film about General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). He was the most brilliant military strategist America has ever known. I have viewed some movies about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,Hawaii in 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor was done by Japanese aircrafts. But when you view the archival footage about the event you will see that Amercan aircrafts are used – not only once -but again and again: American aircrafts are bombing Pearl Harbour. I was surprised to discover that even the film about Douglas MacArthur had used the wrong footage.The aircrafts used are: Douglas SBD Dauntless, dive-bomber. A small detail you may say but the content of any documentary must present correct content, I think.

Photo of Japanese torpedo plane/dive-bomber attacking Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 1941.