Thursday 3 September 2009

Old news, new news

I don't write a lot about current affairs on here - there are many people far better qualified or informed on most subjects and you can read or hear their words about news (and olds) at plenty of elsewheres. I do watch the news though...some of the time...and the other night I saw this report about the child survivors of the Beslan school hostage crisis (five years on). It's a pretty amazing piece of TV - compelling, emotional, heartwrenching. I did wonder as I stared at it whether it was voyeuristic too...and maybe it is but then that is the nature of TV. We watch.

Ever since I watched this one the programme has been following me around (the faces, the words, their lives). I advise that you only watch it if you are prepared to have it follow you around too. It's haunting.

x

11 comments:

green ink said...

Oh my - I still remember the front page of the Herald Sun while all that was going on. I remember biting my lip in the newsagent and then sobbing once I was in the car. Hard to believe it's been five years since then...thanks for the warning about the report - as compelling as your description is, I may have to give it a miss. Perhaps that's weak of me, but I am very easily haunted. xx

deemikay said...

Some things are very painful to watch. And hard to write about. (Certain aspects of Cambodia I haven't been able to put into words...)

I'll watch it.

Titus said...

I have watched it, and remember the original documentary.
It is difficult to watch, but I would say, "try". It is informing, for a thousand reasons.

Rachel Fox said...

Yes it's particularly interesting for the very detailed look at the effects of such a horror on children over time. The little girl who can talk the feisty talk but who then just can't face going into school anymore, for example. I think a lot about children and hardship and emotions. And this was a particularly hard hardship. Unimaginably hard perhaps for us in some ways.

x

Ken Armstrong said...

I'm going to save this one for a while. There's a coach load of things following me round already and a smaller back up mini-bus behind...

Hoping you are goodly. :)

Rachel Fox said...

Hi Ken
Yes I was in no way suggesting everyone must watch this or anything. In some ways you don't need to see a documentary to know that a horrible tragedy like that is going to affect survivors in many different and dreadfully sad ways for a long, long time.

It's weird how we decide what to mention and what not to on the blog (bit like any writing...why write about x and not y...). Sometimes I just get an urge to pass on a link (from the silliest subjects to the most serious). Can't quite explain it...it's just an urge.

Now I want to know what's in your coach...and the minibus. Hell, I'm nosy.

x

Rachel Fox said...

I don't know how long that news documentary will be online. Usually it says but I couldn't see a cut-off date on that one.
x

The Weaver of Grass said...

I cannot bear to watch it Rachel - I know that we should never forget these things but I do think somethings are better not repeated time and time again. The whole thing was such an appalling tragedy.

Rachel Fox said...

I know what you mean Weaver. But this is not really about repetition - it is more about how the surviving children are coping (or not). It is a fascinating study of human reactions in a way. But yes, extremely sad too.
x

Kim Ayres said...

Since the digital switch-over, we've been without TV. It was a conscious decision not to bother buying a digibox.

I think it was definitely the right decision.

There's been too much tragedy going on in life of late. Don't have the reserves to cope with anyone more at the moment.

I do remember weeping at the time it was all going on

Rachel Fox said...

Yes, I had some TV free years a while back and really enjoyed them. The rest of the residents of this house are all big telly fans though so no question of it now.

I was brought up with a lot of TV in the house (not Royle Family levels but quite a lot in the evenings and holidays certainly). I can take or leave it pretty much. I am quite choosey about what I watch.

This TV report was interesting for the study of the affects on the children most of all. My Mum was a children's social worker way back when so I suppose that interest has been passed on to an extent. It's like that story in the news (in England) just now - how do you care for those children (both victims and aggressors) after the press and fuss has all moved on? What becomes of them?

x