Hot Docs remains North America's largest documentary film Festival and an important partner of the Goethe-Institut. I asked the festival's new Director of Programming, Shane Smith, five questions about the state of the doc and his favourite out of 13 German films at Hot Docs 2016:
Jutta Brendemühl:
A doc just won the Berlinale, several others like ZERO DAYS and LES SAUTEURS, which is co-directed by Berlin-based Moritz Siebert, got rave reviews and a lot of attention in Berlin this year. Are we entering a new Golden Doc Age?
Shane Smith: With all of the recognition, awards and platforms, we are definitely in a great new phase for documentaries right now. I think part of that has to do with the
increased attention documentary has received thanks to the many places to see them-
including numerous on-demand services and online streaming sites- and the many new and interesting ways the documentary form is continuing to evolve- including VR, interactive, creative non-fiction and performed documentary. It's incredible to see how the documentary form has continued to morph and evolve in fascinating new ways, questioning the form itself, the construction of reality and the ability to connect to deeper truths via staged or performed elements-
documentary remains an incredibly malleable, flexible, creative artistic medium and that's never been more apparent than in the work we're seeing now. On the other hand, documentaries also help us make sense of the world, or show us worlds we had no idea existed, and in these increasing troubled and troubling times, documentary can provide a bit of a roadmap to the world we live in.
JB: Where do you see Germany right now in the international doc ecology? The classic job interview question:
Strengths and weaknesses.
SS:
Germany continues to be at the forefront of documentary production, in terms of form, content and modes of production. I'm particularly impressed by the range of stories being told in German documentaries,
often through co-productions with other countries. This openness to collaboration means not only a huge number of films being made- we continue to see increases in the number of German documentaries being submitted to the Festival- but an
incredibly diverse slate of films with German involvement making it into the Festival (at least 13 this year!). German filmmakers are particularly
curious about the world, telling stories outside of the country regularly, and that's something that we're seeing happening in a lot of films from other countries too- particularly Canada and Australia. This willingness to engage with the world and play a part in bringing attention to culture, people, events that might otherwise not be seen, seems to be a hallmark of German documentary, and pays off in so many interesting films and subjects.
JB: What’s your take on the doc-narrative feature
hybrids that seem to be en vogue, certainly in many younger German films right now –use of a mix of actors and “real” people, close-up handheld camera, improvised dialogue. Do you see that tendency of
blending and collaging in films coming out of other countries as well right now?
SS: This is a very interesting time for the documentary form. Filmmakers, or more accurately "creators" are really pushing at the boundaries and posing interesting questions about what "documentary" (quote unquote) actually is. I find this incredibly exciting, and it's a conversation Hot Docs is actively engaging in through our programming, particularly the establishment of
DocX as an official program in the Festival this year. One of the roles of documentary is to help us to see, or experience, the greater truth about the world we live in, and creators like Alma Har'el (LOVETRUE) and Michal Marczak (ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS) are really exploring how documentary can do that in fascinating new ways- including the use of performers and staged scenes, from which deeper truths emerge. We can't forget that all
documentary is "constructed reality"- right back to the staged/ reenacted scenes in NANOOK OF THE NORTH- and these new hybrids, or
creative non-fiction documentaries are playing a key role in the evolution of the vocabulary of the documentary. Combine that with the embrace of VR and interactivity by documentary creators I mentioned above, and we're in a really exciting moment globally for documentary.
JB: This is your first festival as Director of Programming. How will we see your handwriting come through this May and beyond?
SS: In my first year, I'm looking to ensure that Hot Docs remains a relevant participant, and active player, in driving the conversation about the future of documentary forward. This manifests itself in our DocX program, in a reinvigorated focus on short form documentary through the curation of short doc programs, and forays into long-form documentary (
binge-watching is a trend that documentary is ideally suited for!). None of this is at the expense of traditional documentary styles- we expand and evolve our programming in response to, and in dialogue with, innovations in the documentary world. I'm lucky to work with an incredibly skilled programming team, led by Associate Director of Programming Sarafina DiFelice, who all have diverse tastes, interests and specialties, that guarantees a broad range of subjects, styles and countries are represented in the program.
There truly is something to suit every taste at Hot Docs and that will never change.
JB: Your favourite German doc ever and must-see German doc at Hot Docs 2016 please:
SS: Fave ever- always in flux, but currently
PINA (I have the poster on the wall in my office). At HD 2016- so tough to choose, but
I love SONITA --great subject, an audience favourite-- and GIRLS DON'T FLY by Monika Grassl --a new filmmaker telling a provocative story- definitely a filmmaker to watch.
Shane Smith is Director of Programming at Hot Docs, North America's largest Festival and Market for documentary film. Smith previously worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as the director of special projects, where he oversaw initiatives and events like the TIFF Bell Lightbox, TIFF in the Park, Nuit Blanche, the digiPlaySpace traveling exhibition and Short Cuts programming for TIFF. Beforehand, he was the director of public programs at TIFF.
Prior to joining TIFF he worked as Executive Producer, In-Flight Entertainment at Spafax, overseeing all entertainment offerings on Air Canada. He was previously Director of Programming at Channel Zero Inc overseeing the digital cable operators programming of Silver Screen Classics and Movieola- the Short Film Channel. Other positions include Director of the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, Short Film Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, Founder and Co-Director of OzFlix: Australian Film Weekend and Programmer for Inside Out LGBT Film Festival.
He is not the guy from Vice.
interview by
Jutta Brendemühl
photo: "Girls Don't Fly" courtesy Mischief Films
