Moving images, moved audiences? A focus group study into audience interpretations of distant suffering in The Impossible (2012)

Abstract

While distant suffering has been thoroughly explored in factual media such as news and documentaries, this article examines Western audiences’ interpretations of distant suffering and non-Western ‘Others’ in the format of fiction films. Through five focus groups ( N = 22) in Flanders, the northern Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, this explorative study examines whether the film The Impossible (2012) fosters empathy, raises awareness and encourages action towards the portrayed distant suffering. The film tells the story of a British family during the tsunami of 2004 and is largely based on true events. Findings show that the film proves effective in increasing Western viewers’ awareness of distant suffering. However, this sense of closeness mostly resulted in passivity and rarely translated into concrete action. A proper distance from the portrayed Other appears crucial for Western viewers to be motivated to show compassion and consider action. Nevertheless, the study also suggests that audiences’ emotional connection is heavily influenced by individual film consumption preferences.