Our Work / Programmes / Exploring Reality

Documentaries are everywhere. Audiences can find feature documentaries and episodics on every platform but how can you make the best documentary that cuts through the mountains of new documentaries that  are made each year?

Exploring Reality is a unique series of workshops built on the talent of  creative documentary directors that  brings together a series  of combined talks, workshops and masterclasses designed by documentary directors, for documentary directors.

We want to strengthen the ability of directors to produce innovative work so that they can take a creative and active role in the evolving market for documentary and respond to the trends in ground-breaking, collaborative, and interdisciplinary ways. Exploring Reality training programme will strike a balance between inspirational masterclasses and hands-on sessions to help directors as they explore the infinite creative solutions and possibilities open to them.

 

Exploring Reality 2 is a residential programme and will take place in Barnabrow Country House in County Cork in November 2024. Each applicant will pay a fee of €200. This includes access to the full training programme and assurance of full accommodation for 4 nights with all meals included. It will be an intensive 4 day experience, full of film screenings, discussion and analysis and the chance to meet wonderfully talented filmmakers of all kinds..

This year there will be two modules:

MODULE 1 is for emerging documentary film directors based in Ireland and will take place from the 4^th to the 7^th November (inclusive). Each applicant should have previously made at least one documentary for broadcast/festival release. To apply for this module, please email darina@sdgi.ie with a full and comprehensive CV and attach links to your work. Please include information on an upcoming project you would like to bring to the workshop for discussion. Interviews will take place over zoom.

Module 1 Schedule

Nov 4th: Course Introduction, Workshops led by Ben Anthony and Máire Kearney, Directors Walk & Talk Networking Opportunity, Screenings of Tish (Paul Sng) and Israel-Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 (Göran Hugo Olsson)

Nov 5th: Workshops led by Göran Hugo Olsson and Paul Sng, Directors Walk & Talk Networking Opportunity, Somatic Movement Session, Screenings of A Storm Foretold (Christoffer Guldbrandsen) and A Syrian Love Story (Sean McAllister)

Nov 6th: Workshop led by Sean McAllister, Directors Discussion on Current Projects, Screenings of An Unfinished Journey (Amie Williams & Aeyliya Husain) and Henry Glassie: Field Work (Pat Collins)

Nov 7th: Workshops led by Amie Williams and Pat Collins

MODULE 2 is for experienced  documentary film directors based in Ireland and will take place from the 25^th to the 28^th November (inclusive). Each applicant should have previously made at least five documentaries for broadcast/festival release. To apply for this module, please email darina@sdgi.ie with a full and comprehensive CV and attach links to your work. Please include information on an upcoming project you would like to bring to the workshop for discussion. Interviews will take place over zoom.

 

Extended Deadline is  10th October 2024 at 5pm.

 

The Documentary Alliance is invested in giving documentary makers in Ireland the opportunity to meet with and learn from other filmmakers, through seeing their work, analysing and having detailed discussions about what drives it and makes it possible.

We ran Exploring Reality last year and it was really well received by all the participants. Some of our guests included Shaunak Sen, Vanessa Engle, Sean McAllister, Simon Lereng Wilmont, Yemi Bamiro, Helen Bart, Nainita Desai, Saeed Taji Farouky , Mick Mahon, and Sinéad O’Shea. They showed some of their work, spoke about it in a moderated discussion with one of the course designers and met with the participating filmmakers informally to take about their projects as well.

We plan to explore the following with our participants over the course of the workshops:  the structure of documentary storytelling, how to crack a great story structure, developing story arcs, the different ways that a story structure can evolve from an initial idea right through to the edit, working with and without narration, observational film making, scripted/designed documentary, first person voice, visual language, collaborating with the editor to find the story, working with a writer.

This programme is being supported by the Screen Ireland Stakeholders Fund, Cork County Council, RTE, Coimisiún na Meán and UCC and more supporters and designed by the Documentary Alliance of the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland for directors.