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.

 

This November, we held our second iteration of the Exploring Reality residential training programme, which included a series of combined talks, workshops and masterclasses. It took place at Barnabrow Country House in County Cork and was held over two separate modules for emerging and experienced documentary directors.

Each module comprised an intensive 4-day experience, full of film screenings, discussion & analysis and the chance to meet talented filmmakers from all over the world. Each module had 10 participating Irish-based filmmakers who attended masterclasses and mentoring sessions with our visiting doc makers. We work to strengthen the ability of directors to produce innovative work to take a creative and active role in the evolving market for documentaries and respond to the trends in groundbreaking, collaborative and interdisciplinary ways.

Module 1: Our first module for emerging documentary directors ran from the 4th to the 7th of November and brought an array of established international documentary filmmakers to lead workshops for our emerging directors. Speakers included Ben Anthony, Pat Collins, Máire Kearney, Sean McAllister, Göran Hugo Olsson, Paul Sng and Amie Williams.

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, Participants 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: Our second module was held from the 24th to the 28th of November and was designed to encourage important conversations amongst our cohort of experienced documentary directors. Speakers included Charlotte Münch Bengtsen, Lea Glob, Johan Grimonprez, Kim Longinotto, Paweł Łoziński, Louise Osmond and Jerry Rothwell.

Module 2 Schedule

Nov 24th: Course Introduction, Screening of Apolonia, Apolonia (Lea Glob)

Nov 25th: Workshops led by Lea Glob and Paweł Łoziński, Screenings of The Balcony Movie (Paweł Łoziński) and The Reason I Jump (Jerry Rothwell)

Nov 26th: Workshop led by Jerry Rothwell, Participants Discussion on Current Projects, Screening of Mistress Dispeller (Edited by Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, Directed by Elizabeth Lo)

Nov 27th: Workshops led by Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Johan Grimonprez, Screening of Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Johan Grimonprez)

Nov 28th: Workshops led by Louise Osmond and Kim Longinotto, Screenings of Dark Horse (Louise Osmond) and Shooting the Mafia (Kim Longinotto)

 

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 continue exploring the following with our participants over the course of future 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.