Dear Friends,
On May 22, 2024 it was reported that National Geographic pulled the Emmy-winning film Retrograde from its streaming platforms after criticism from veterans and inquiries from The Washington Post (paywall). These inquiries suggested that an Afghan mine clearer working for US forces was killed by the Taliban after being featured in the documentary and that there had been multiple warnings to the film team about the risk to contributors in the film. The events described are devastating and the question for all of us is, how can we stop this ever happening again.
Documentary filmmaking does not operate in a vortex, without moral and legal standards. There are decades old safety, legal and compliance processes evolved largely through public media institutions, which one would like to think, could have mitigated against this outcome. It is also true that the process of fully de-risking a film can end up disempowering and censoring independent voices. But between the extremes of absolute creative freedom versus micromanaging a film into mediocrity, real life humans are at risk of real harm.
In discussing this case amongst our team, our General Counsel, Prash Naik offered us some thoughts and context:
The Retrograde controversy is not alone, the ongoing furore surrounding Netflix’s Baby Reindeer over the failure of duty of care, and the defamation claim against the BBC backed film The Lost King, show that even the big players are not immune from dropping the ball.
While the latter cases are fact-based dramas, they should have been subject to the same scrutiny as any documentary. These films all serve a valuable lesson in raising awareness – amongst filmmakers, funders, the audience and the ever-watchful press – of just how seriously things can go wrong and, they are unlikely to be the last. What they also share is an apparent desire to tell their stories without full and proper consideration of the impact of their films on the real people without which their films could not have been made.
Increasingly films are distributed to worldwide audiences and can remain accessible for many years, but how often is consideration given to the changing circumstances of contributors in the future? The interests of filmmakers and contributors is not always aligned, and the elephant in the room is that sometimes it is not in the best interests of the contributor to take part. It is a brave and responsible filmmaker that is prepared to stand up and say no to a contributor, who wants to be filmed, but how often does this really happen? While many responsible filmmakers and funders do consider these issues, sadly there are many that still do not. It is possible to future proof films with duty of care in mind, but it does involve a willingness to compromise editorially.
So how can you better prepare to avoid the worst? Training is essential and while not a panacea, it can and does embed a culture of good practice and crucially how to identify the important issues at an early stage. Continuing education or training is integral to many professions to protect, improve and maintain quality. However, it should not be treated as a tick-box exercise but a valuable opportunity to tackle and discuss the ethical issues that impact documentary filmmaking.
There is also no excuse to say that we don’t have the time or resources for training. There are many excellent free resource tools and online training available to filmmakers to help them navigate the risks. I would highly recommend the Safe + Secure initiative which includes contributions from filmmakers, funders, media lawyers and experts around the world. It is practical and based on case precedents which is invaluable. It also includes details of other free resource tools.
To those naysayers who claim that such frameworks stifle the creative process and inhibit risk-taking, nothing could be further from the truth. In my experience filmmakers & funders that embrace best practice are often the ones that excel creatively as they better understand how to identify and navigate the pitfalls.
Prash Naik - General Counsel Doc Society & Founding Member Creators Counsel
We’ve shared below some of the thought leadership, the tools and frameworks from our peers that we’ve leaned upon across the years. Please do send us other resources that you rate. Our hunch is that we already have what we need in the field, the question is how do we get buy-in from all parts of the ecosystem including more practitioners as well as colleagues across independent and corporate media. And how do we continue to tell difficult and important stories that contain elements of risk, rather than withdrawing completely from complex work?
Send us your thoughts by emailing contribute@safeandsecure.film
With love and rockets,
Team Doc Society
Playlist of prompts, resources and ethics and accountability initiatives
A Call to Accountability by Sonja Childress
Dangerous Documentaries Report (CMSI)
Documentality
Documentary Accountability Working Group Framework
ImagineNATIVE On-Screen Protocols + Pathways
IRIS’s Safer Storytellers Initiatve
ITVS participant research project
Restoring the Future
Safe + Secure
The State of Journalism on the Documentary Field (CMSI)
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BFI Doc Society RAD Fund Projects
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Congratulations to the first recipients of the newest BFI Doc Society fund for Research and Development. The Fund provides support for first or second time feature length documentary directors or director/producer teams with a single feature documentary film in early development. You can find more information on the RAD Fund here.
Rotimi: Directed by Joseph Adesunloye
A scintillating voyage through the life and lens of Queer British/Nigerian photographer, artist and activist Rotimi Fani-Kayode – whose groundbreaking work transcends cultural boundaries, challenging societal norms, while fostering a powerful dialogue on identity, sexuality, and spirituality.
A View From The Edge: Directed by Chloe White, Produced by Jodie Taylor
A View from the Edge is a striking meditation on loss and impermanence, through the personal cost of coastal erosion. A mixture of opera performance, observational documentary and stylised vignettes, the film is an elegy to one of the UK’s fastest disappearing towns, one crafted in collaboration with its residents.
Trouble in Paradise: Directed by Cassie Quarless
In October 1983, Grenada, a tiny Caribbean idyll, was invaded by the United States. Days before, its Prime Minister and cabinet members had been lined up and shot dead.
‘Trouble In Paradise’ tells the gripping story of the Grenadian Revolution and the events that led up to the invasion.
Monument to the Vanquished Peasant: A People’s History of Enclosure: Directed by Leah Gordon.
An experimental film-essay telling the history of the enclosures, using footage of folk traditions, underscored by the voices and testaments of commoners, activists, and the rural dispossessed, weaving a multi-voiced history of the loss of commons from below.
Labour & Love: Directed by Lotje Sodderland, Produced by Helen Spooner
A young migrant finds herself working as a live-in carer for an elderly woman in rural England. This film seeks to navigate her inner life, exploring the unexpected human connection between two women bonded by isolation and precarity.
Freedom Dreaming: Directed by Rhea Storr
A young Caribbean diaspora woman writes a letter to her disconnected diaspora kin in the future, telling them what life is like for Caribbean community organisations in the UK and the struggles that they will face.
Cripping Up: Co-Directed by Meg Fozzard & Amy Crighton, Produced by Meg Fozzard
A revolutionary 360 VR documentary, immerses viewers in my daily challenges as a wheelchair user. Through my eyes, seemingly mundane situations reveal the overlooked obstacles faced by non-disabled individuals. The 5-minute VR journey ends with a poignant reminder: while viewers can walk away, wheelchair users cannot.
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Climate Focus at Durban FilmMart
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Doc Society is very pleased to be supporting Climate Focus, a new part of the Durban FilmMart Industry Programme, presented in collaboration with our Climate Story Unit, Climate Story Lab South Africa, STEPS, and the Global Impact Producers Alliance (GIPA). This initiative emphasises DFM's dedication to raising awareness about environmental challenges and the climate crisis, fostering a commitment to sustainable filmmaking practices and impactful storytelling. You can read more about the initiative and the incredible cohort we are working with here.
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Doc Soc films on POV’s 37th Season Slate
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We are thrilled to share that five Doc Society supported films are included in this year’s POV lineup. We are huge fans of POV on PBS and their 37th Season Slate includes: Hummingbirds (New Perspectives Fund), The Taste of Mango (BFI Doc Society Fund), Name Me Lawand (BFI Doc Society Fund), Is There Anybody Out There?(BFI Doc Society Fund), and Against the Tide (Climate Story Fund.) Huge congrats to these teams and we can’t wait to watch.
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Strike: An Uncivil War screening across the UK
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BFI Doc Society supported feature Strike: An Uncivil War (dir. Daniel Gordon, prods. Nick Taussig, Fjolla Iberhysaj) has been released in UK cinemas and will be screening far and wide throughout the summer. It’s incredible to see such a range of community cinemas screening this important film - check out the Tull Stories website to find an event near you! Strike: An Uncivil War tells the story of the Battle of Orgreave, the most violent confrontation between miners and police during the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike in Great Britain.
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Hummingbirds and Is There Anybody Out There? on POV
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Hummingbirds (Dirs. Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía "Beba" Contreras, Prods. Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Leslie Benavides, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Diane Ng, Rivkah Beth Medow) had its broadcast premiere on POV this week. If you missed the premiere, you can still catch it streaming in the US! You don’t want to miss this beautiful, collaborative coming-of-age story. Stream it now
Is There Anybody Out There? (Dir. Ella Glendining, Prod. Janine Marmot) will debut POV on 8 July as well. With great warmth and an infectious joy for her life and body, as it is, filmmaker Ella Glendining challenges us to question the way we see others, like and unlike ourselves. US audiences, be sure to tune in on 8 July to watch.
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Frontier Town released on Waterbear
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BFI Doc Society Made of Truth Fund supported short Frontier Town (dir. Tom & Theo Tennant, prods. Alice Hughes) will be released on 4th July by Waterbear.
Frontier Town follows Fairbourne’s residents that have been told that by 2054 their village will be the first UK community to be “decommissioned” as a result of the climate crisis. As scientists test coastal defences in a lab, villagers on the frontline of humanity’s greatest struggle confront an uncertain future.
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CONGRATULATIONS ALL AROUND
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Strike: An Uncivil War wins Audience Award at Sheffield Doc Fest
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Congratulations to Strike: An Uncivil War (dir. Daniel Gordon, prods. Nick Taussig, Fjolla Iberhysaj) team for winning the Audience Award at this year’s Sheffield DocFest. Incredibly well-deserved, and don’t miss your chance to see this film in UK cinemas.
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The Flats and My Friend Lanre recognised at Docs Ireland
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Congratulations to both teams behind The Flats (Dir. Alessandra Celesia, Prod. Genevièvre De Bauw, John McIlduff, Jean-Laurent Csinidis & Jeremiah Cullinane) and My Friend Lanre (Dir. Leo Regan, Prods. Michael Elliott & Mary Carson) for respectively winning the Best Irish Feature Documentary Award and Special Mention at Docs Ireland. The Flats was also the festival’s opening night film. Congrats!
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Hong Kong Mixtape wins One World Media Award
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BFI Doc Society supported film Hong Kong Mixtape (Dir. San San F Young, Prods. Nikki Parrott, San San F Young) was awarded the One World Media Award for Best Feature Documentary. The Award recognises impact and storytelling that is character-driven and creative, and covers global south stories. Congratulations to the team.
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Apply for BFI NETWORK at London Film Festival
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Are you an emerging UK-based filmmaker and haven’t made a feature yet? Then you might want to apply for BFI NETWORK’s flagship talent development programme at London Film Festival this October. Up to 15 UK-based directors, producers, and screenwriters across fiction and documentary will dive into a rich experience of screenings, events, and personalised sessions with industry professionals. BFI Doc Society will be contributing to the assessment and selection of filmmakers working in documentary and hybrid forms, and will help shape dedicated programme elements to suit these disciplines. Learn more about this incredible opportunity and check your eligibility to apply! Deadline is 17 July.
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BFI Doc Society Group Attendance at IDFA 2024
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In collaboration with BFI Doc Society, the BFI will soon be launching an application call for UK documentary producers to take part in a Group Attendance at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA) between 16 and 20 November 2024. Selected participants will be offered hotel accommodation, return travel, and industry accreditation.
The delegation opportunity is aimed at producers who have at least one lead producer credit on a recently completed feature length or immersive documentary project, and/or be the lead producer on a feature length or immersive documentary project currently in development, production or post-production. For full details on eligibility and how to apply, please keep an eye on our talent page as the call launches early next week.
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Sign up for IDA’s Program “Addressing the Western Gaze: Audience, Funding, and Success”
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The “Western gaze” is not a geographically specific term but a concept that refers to those who watch films and have historically had more power and access to film resources. IDA invites you to attend a series of panels moderated by IDA Logan Elevate 2023 grantees Janay Boulos, Arya Rothe, and Pallavi Somusetty for an open conversation about cultural exchange within the film industry. You’ve still got time to join the panel on 9 July and learn more. All panels are free and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP here.
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That’s all for now, folks.
Love,
Doc Society
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