If the popular Netflix true crime documentary «American Nightmare» had it been filmed ten years ago, the focus would have been much greater on the perpetrator of this horrific crime.
That's the verdict from true crime expert Felicity Morris, who has created a number of award-winning documentaries for Netflix, including «American Nightmare» , in the creation of which she took part as a co-director.
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Movie «American Nightmare» tells the story of Denise Haskins's abduction in March 2015 from the home she shared with her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn. It was initially believed the couple staged the abduction, with the press calling Haskins "the real deal." "The Missing Girl"» , until the arrest and conviction of Matthew Mueller, the real perpetrator.
Speaking at the Deadline Reality TV Summit UK today as part of a panel discussion with presenters and commissioners of true crime reality shows, Morris said: "Ten years ago, the focus might have been on the criminal who carried out this unimaginable kidnapping.".
«"But in fact, we deliberately decided to leave him, his personality and background, only as a footnote," the director said. Tinder Swindler Morris: "We focused on the story of the man who was kidnapped and disbelieved, and the story of his boyfriend and his interactions with the police. We said from the start that we weren't interested in Matthew Mueller; we didn't want his name mentioned at the end.".
The American Nightmare series« became a major hit for Netflix, entering the top 10 worldwide after racking up millions of views.
«"The Opportunist Criminal"»
Speaking about the problem of unethical crime scenes in which "priority is given to the criminal," David Wilson, the presenter of the program «"In the Footsteps of the Killers" Channel 4 did not hide the fact that some of them «profit from crime for selfish reasons.».
At this end of the true crime documentary spectrum, Wilson said, producers and commissioners take a "bulk it, sell it cheap, show me the blood splatter" approach, which he described as "sensationalistic and scandalous.".
Wilson even claimed that some ideas for crime documentary shows are "made up," despite the genre being based on real events. "I hope they are exposed as fraudulent and false," he added, commenting on these ideas.
Wilson's co-host on the program "In the Footsteps of Killers"« Emilia Fox said that for her, crime stories are "exploring those things in life that we hope we never have to experience, exploring how to gain knowledge about them, and preparing for them.".
John Balson, series producer «"In the Footsteps of the Killers", tragically committed suicide two years ago, a few months after leaving the series.
Addressing the issue at the summit, Wilson said, "Even today, our thoughts are with his family," and commended Channel 4 and Alaska TV for following all necessary procedures to ensure the child's welfare throughout. An independent review by Channel 4 concluded that both parties "fulfilled their responsibilities to ensure safety.".
«"Students often ask me how I manage the work we do," he added. "It's a bit of a stretch to be a poor John Balson, but I often say, 'You shouldn't do this work if you're psychologically unstable and don't have a support network to help you. If you don't have other interests and aren't willing to share them.'".
The band performed at the Deadline Reality TV Summit UK, which is taking place today as part of SXSW London.
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