Sieged: The Press vs Denialism is a very relevant documentary in these uncertain times. The pandemic, in most countries, is still at large and affecting millions everyday.
This very immersive documentary goes way back to when frontline doctors were the only ones aware of COVID-19 in Brazil. They attempted to warn the country of an incoming pandemic. But most of their attempts were undermined due to people not believing it is a real problem.
Where Sieged is most intriguing is in its commentary on the subject of fake news. Brazil draws major parallels to the US with how many people thought it was a hoax. Many Brazilians surprisingly blamed both the journalists and the media for the pandemic. Sieged also brings up the discussion of whether governments did enough to stop the spread of COVID-19 and if they could have handled it better overall.
Visually, the documentary is very grey and with most of the colors washed out. This helps add to the seriousness of the health crisis and shows how bleak life can be. The shots of the COVID graveyard are truly heartbreaking. This graveyard is full of crosses, signifying all the people who passed away due to it. Families are even sadly seen throughout putting their loved ones into coffins. Most of them don’t have enough money for an identification cross so they use plastic cups or a flower instead. Because of this, many people may never be able to identify the person they have lost.
Overall, Sieged: The Press vs Denialism is a very informative documentary. It shows just how much trouble many of the journalists there had to go through. This shines a light on how COVID-19 affected and continues to affect a third world country in an entirely different continent.
- Release Date: 4/29/2021
