We are so fortunate, here in Boston, to have the resources of the MIT Open Doc Lab in our backyard. Last night I attended “The People Formerly Known As the Subject,” a presentation by the amazing Katrina Cizek and Gerry Flahive – the minds and motivation behind HIGHRISE.
|
Our
3rd DocYard summer season has wrapped and another collection of amazing
films and artists has come and gone. Nearing the end of this summer’s
programming, several people approached me asking about how we select the
films. I’ve been programming screening and discussion events with
filmmakers for my entire professional life ,
and these inquiries made me realize that what seems so rote to me is
actually a total mystery to others. Now that the summer season is closed
and we’ve turned our eyes to the next round of films in our scope, I
thought it was a good time to share a bit about the process and thinking
behind our programming.
|
I had the privilege last week to be among a small group gathered for the New Arts of Documentary summit, a project of the Open Doc Lab at MIT.
The summit brought together a group of mediamakers, technologists,
scholars, curators and funders who are all experimenting with, thinking
about, and forging new ground in the practice of nonfiction
storytelling. Throughout the day, we shared rich discussion and saw some
amazing projects playing with the boundaries of what documentary is
and, significantly, what it can be. We also wrestled with the obstacles
and ethical issues at play in the field, leaving with more questions
than answers and a promise of more conversation to come.
|