It wasn’t until episode eight in the ABC’s current reboot of Race Around the World that the question of ethics was raised.

Kate McGuinness’ film intercut accounts of village residents in Romania discussing their hardships under and after communist rule. McGuinness is known through the series for her droll humour and, here, her deadpan tableaux-vivants resemble something from a Wes Anderson film.

Judge John Safran is unsure about the ethics of moving between humour and the tragedy of other people’s lives, and the judges and McGuinness have a brief discussion. But then the show moves on.

This brief exchange is an anomaly. The show emphasises on-screen personalities, technical prowess, light entertainment and not-too-critical feedback. But what is being left unsaid about the ethics of documentary filmmaking?

Race Around The World began in 1997. Eight filmmakers were equipped with newly released handycams and sent to a different country every ten days for 100 days.

In each country, the contestants would shoot footage and send the tapes back to the ABC studios, where an editor would cut the four-minute films, following explicit instructions from the filmmakers.

In 2026, with the internet, digital media and laptops, the contestants have the skills to shoot and edit their own films.

The original series is perhaps best remembered for its breakout star Safran, the resident judge in........

© The Conversation