For a field that has often blurred the line between cinema and anthropology, documentary filmmakers have long set off for foreign lands, lured by the prospect of “discovering” some seemingly untold story, set against an exotic backdrop that is all but certain to attract audiences and funding bodies alike.
Wednesday’s panel in Thessaloniki focused on how to create a more equitable framework for filmmakers outside the traditional power centers of European film finance, particularly when many rely on European partners to get their documentaries made. “Traditional co-production forms are not functioning anymore,” said Shiraieff, “and we really don’t know what to do.”
Zeynep Guzel, an independent producer and consultant and head of talents at Berlinale Doc Station, cited a “lack of empathy” from foreign producers working with filmmakers in countries whose industries are less developed. She said more work needs to be done to create solutions that allow filmmakers from radically different production environments to meet on a level playing field.
Traditionally, said Murat, a producer contributing the lion’s share of the funding would also retain a lion’s share of the copyright and financial returns — a fact that “sustains this unequal balance of power in these co-production relationships.