Shooting For The Stars By Sharon Davis

Director Sharon Davis utilises voice-overs for his documentary “Shooting for The Stars.” Cambridge describes the meaning of voice-over as “words that describe or comment on a film, advertisement or video, which are spoken by a person unseen” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2023). An example of this exists at 2:30 in the documentary, where Wright and Chagai comments on their understanding of a fight scene, entertaining the audience. The voice-over here gives context and backstory to the fight, informing the audience about the general situation. Another example of it is at 8:45, where it presents countless south Sudanese people in an area. The voice-over informs the audience that the people are fleeing from war and are in a camp in Pinyudo. In both examples,

Actuality is the “showing of unedited, unstructured footage of real events, places, people, or things” (The Museum of Modern Art, 2023). For example, at the timestamp 23:25, Chagai goes back home to visit his family due to his mother’s illness. Via this footage, the viewers areinformed about what Chagai is currently doing as well as the portrayal of his culture which entertains the audience with unique cultural dances, clothing, norms, etc. Seeing footage of Chagai being joyous and blissful with his family but having to leave alone incites the viewers to financially aid Chagai in his endeavours because through actuality, the audience has seen how much he’d experienced to establish his current position. Additionally, the reality of his difficulties and his overcoming of them generates more removed support for Chagai to be deserving of his happiness. In large, actuality informs, entertains, and relates using unedited footage that reveals the quotidian lives of people and this gives way to an improved interpersonal relationship with the characters which maintains interest and support in the

Interviews bide “a main staple in most documentary films, and it’s employed to communicate vital information about the story” (Harvard, 2015). An example of this is Chagai, who narrates his life story concisely, so it’s effortless to comprehend him. The interview with Chagai is of upmost importance due to the documentary being based on him. Chagai excels at his storytelling abilities as he entertains and informs the audience and clarifies and simplifies his speech when needed. This exposes his favourable characteristics to the audience which increases his amiability, which in turn delivers to him a grander chance of receiving support from the people. Interviews positively affect the legitimacy of the film because they are “testimonies that provide a robust sense of authenticity” (Harvard, 2015). Through this, the documentary augments its authenticity by providing supplementary information about Chagai’s past. This helps the viewers grasp his current situation more profoundly, which leads to an improved connection and relationship with Chagai. This supports the purpose of the documentary, as it enhances the likelihood of persuading the viewers to help Chagai in his undertakings. Overall, the director applies interviews effectively, allowing people being filmed to speak directly about events, their personal experiences, and thoughts which inform and entertain the