Within the framework of the 27th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival’s Agora, the new initiative of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival and the DOK Leipzig Festival "Doc Together" was presented on Tuesday afternoon, March 11th. This new initiative aims at exploring how displaced or exiled filmmakers and those working under perilous conditions in their home countries can access funding and resources, especially if they are excluded from national funding opportunities or unable to receive support. In future editions, the festivals partnering up will host events where these vital discussions will take place, providing a platform to selected filmmakers in order to present their works and share their stories.
The event was presented by Nadja Tennstedt (Director of DOK Industry, DOK Leipzig) and Angeliki Vergou (Head of the Agora, Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival) together with Talal Afifi (filmmaker, producer and founder of Sudan Film Factory) and producer Thomas Kaske (Seera Films). The event was moderated by Alex Shiriaieff (Chief Executive Producer of EuroArctic Media Group).
Angeliki Vergou and Nadja Tennstedt explained the reasoning behind the creation of the Doc Together initiative: "Documentary filmmakers often face significant challenges in their home countries, compelling many to relocate for a variety of reasons. Some are persecuted due to their political views or aspects of their identity, including ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, as oppressive regimes or religious establishments impose restrictions on freedom of expression. Others are forced to flee as wars devastate their homelands, while some struggle with the lack of necessary infrastructure to sustain a filmmaking career. At the same time, there are also filmmakers who choose to remain in their countries, navigating hardships while finding ways to continue creating under difficult circumstances. On countless occasions, documentary filmmakers have had to re-establish their careers in foreign countries."
Alex Shiriaieff took the floor, welcoming the audience and introducing the panelists. He highlighted the importance of this discussion, because, as he stressed, this is an issue that many countries have faced already and many more will face in the future. “Daily, we encounter filmmakers from countries where the conditions are unfavorable. Such cases are for example Ukraine, or Belarus. In these countries, there is a plethora of filmmakers with important stories to tell, yet they are often marginalized by the industry itself. Today, we are living in a climate where we are confronted with dictatorships, democracies in ruin, states in occupation, wars, censorship, corruption, nepotism. There are filmmakers facing exile, or seeking asylum. We observe the radical right gaining momentum. There are limitations on freedom of expression, but also a significant violation of the rights of minorities. What is the common denominator in all these issues? They are all political in nature, and spreading from Europe to the other side of the Atlantic.”
How is it possible for filmmakers to create under such circumstances? The baton was then passed to the Sudanese producer Talal Afifi, who spoke extensively about the restrictions imposed on creators both from within – by the state itself – and by the international community, noting that the situation has become increasingly more challenging during the last two years with the country at war. “There was a great gap in filmmaking production in Sudan, and that was due to the Islamic regime that has assumed power in the region. It is a situation affecting every art form, with cinema suffering the most serious consequences, as until then it had been almost entirely dependent on state resources. The transition from the analogue to the digital era has helped creators, providing them a certain autonomy. Sudanese cinema has quite a lot of prospects, but it has not succeeded in building its own community to this day. In reality, a creator from Sudan must deal with the traditions of the local community, the government, as well as the embargo imposed on the country by Europe, America, and the United Nations. It is very difficult to find funding. We have been at war for two years now. Filmmakers often need to relocate, and many of them are seeking asylum. I don’t know how the situation will unfold. It is a new condition of dispersion, one that we don't even know how to deal with.”
Next, Thomas Kaske took the floor. After providing a brief introduction on how he got involved in the film industry, he discussed his experience working on a co-production in Nigeria, where there are also issues similar to those in Sudan. “In the case of the less developed countries, very often negotiations aren’t equitable, and the issue of how to come to a fair agreement persists. However, even in co-productions, filmmakers have rights that are protected by their contracts. The way we managed to secure our autonomy, for instance, in a film we were involved in, was through the creation of a network in collaboration with two other film production companies. Above all, what matters to us is the survival of the creator’s project, and through this network we ensured their voice would be heard.”
During the discussion, the urgent need to form larger networks so that the people in the industry would cope more effectively with the new conditions of the market was clear. This was further confirmed by the panel’s moderator, who then gave the floor to Angeliki Vergou and Nadja Tennstedt. They, in turn, thoroughly analyzed the idea behind their new initiative, which has the same objective. “Once upon a time, creators wished to work independently. Now, self-organization is the only path,” she stated.
Angeliki Vergou and Nadja Tennstedt touched upon the disappointment they feel as a result of the current situation in the industry, as well as their desire to take action. As they explained, this is an initiative aiming at bringing people, institutions, and organizations together, in order for them to take actions under a common framework, thus working more effectively, with solidarity. “There were all these fragments, all these smaller initiatives we encountered at festivals and artistic spaces. We decided we must take action. And the more we become, the more power we gain. We decided to launch this initiative here, in Thessaloniki, and call upon whoever is interested in joining their voice with ours. Each filmmaker in exile, in danger, or in their homeland lacking access to state funding, can find the support they need through our network. Our objective is to aid creators in reaching the market, from covering their accommodation to helping them promote their idea,” Angeliki Vergou noted.
For her part, Nadja Tennstedt added: “It was both a desire and a priority for us to contribute. We wanted to share our experience regarding what works at a national level. For example, for some filmmakers, the process of securing a visa is extremely difficult. We have to examine how this can be facilitated. This year, we are trying to identify creators, talk to them, and consider their needs. We often assume we know people's needs but this can be far from the truth. We are still exploring the idea of creating think tanks, gathering different members, institutions, markets, investors and individuals so as to investigate how this initiative can work even more effectively."
When asked about the ways in which the documentary genre can play a pivotal role - as a catalyst - for the reconstruction and healing of our society, as well as how we can influence distribution strategies, Alex Shiraieff replied by making a reference to a quote by Vladimir Lenin: “The cinema is for us the most important of the arts.” “Above all, we must redefine the quality of our information,” Thomas Kaske emphasized. “One way is to staff the dominant media with more democratic figures. Simultaneously, perhaps transitioning the audience from television to independent platforms is required. As for the second part of the question, Angeliki Vergou stated: “Another way is for distributors themselves to become part of think tanks. In reality, we must all become part of this process. The system has cracks and issues. We acknowledge as such, and it is our responsibility to fix it. For the documentary to reach the masses, we must utilize our enemies’ weapons. We look at our phones, and the content we consume is so weak and poor. It is our duty to ‘hack’ the system.”
Alex Shiriaieff summarized the discussion on whether there are available resources for culture and cinema. Talal Afifi agreed, adding: “People in Africa have great need for such initiatives. This entire power structure must change. Politics and our approach to culture must change. I dream of seeing an inclusive festival with participants from every industry. To see lawyers, journalists, NGOs in addition to creators, producers and industry professionals. Furthermore, we must achieve democratization of certain processes. For instance, we are required to write in English, Spanish, French, but our own language is nowhere to be found. This deprives us of the opportunity to express ourselves creatively and accurately, while making us less competitive compared to someone that might make their ‘pitch’ in their native language. This is a very crucial issue, which the institutions supporting filmmakers must take into account. More visibility is required,” he concluded.
