The practice of documentary filmmaking is constantly reinventing itself, taking on new forms in ever more fascinating and unexpected ways. The filmmakers on this panel work in idiosyncratic styles that challenge convention in their mediation of living realities. Their films blur the boundaries between documentary and fiction, inviting protagonists to reconstruct their lived experiences and crafting layered narratives around climate, history and music. Drawing on archival materials – from family photographs and found footage to personal collections – they challenge official histories and reclaim forgotten narratives. Through these experimental approaches, they demonstrate how documentaries continue to redefine cinematic storytelling, unlocking new possibilities for what John Grierson famously called “the creative treatment of actuality.”
