Compassion in Kim Longinotto’s documentary practice

Kim Longinotto’s documentary work avoids many of the weaknesses often associated with crosscultural documentary, such as the tendency toward voyeurism, or exploitation of an exotic “Other.” While other scholars have recognized her attention to transnational feminist solidarity, there has been no discussion of the emotional qualities inherent to her work. I argue that Longinotto’s working practice can and should be acknowledged as exercises in compassionate filmmaking. My analysis focuses on the emotional and ethical qualities of her film texts and also addresses questions of authorship as it appears on screen as well as off screen in the relationship between the filmmaker and participants.