Program

Wednesday, October 30, 2024, IF stage, Horácké Theatre (Komenského 1359)

Individual Level: Ethics of Creative Responsibility

10:00 – 12:00 | Morning Coffee on Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking | Facilitated by Jan Motal

For pre-registered participants only.

This morning workshop offers students space to openly share questions, uncertainties, and experiences regarding moral dilemmas in documentary filmmaking. The participants will focus on issues of authorship, representation, and ethics in both study and professional practice. The discussion will address which topics are missing in documentary filmmaking, the obstacles students face in advocating for them, and how they understand their creative and social responsibility. The workshop will take place in a non-hierarchical, inclusive environment and is open only to pre-registered participants.

13:00 | Conference Opening and Introductory Remarks by Tereza Swadoschová and Jan Motal

13:00 – 14:30 | Katerina Cizek on co-creation: Participatory and subversive strategies in documentary filmmaking

Language: English (with interpretation into Czech).

The masterclass with Katerina Cizek will focus on participatory, collaborative, and subversive strategies in documentary filmmaking that transcend traditional institutional boundaries and bring marginalized topics to the public sphere. Cizek will share her experiences on how co-creation transforms the mediamaking process with an emphasis on equity, justice, and ethics, and how working together with communities can lead to a deeper understanding of the social impacts of audiovisual storytelling. Participants will gain both practical and theoretical insights on pushing the boundaries of traditional documentary work.

15:00 – 15:45 | The Challenges and Conditions in Creating Socially Engaged Documentaries with Apolena Rychlíková and Saša Uhlová: Borders of Europe | Moderated by Jan Motal

Language: Czech (with interpretation into English).

This case study of the film Borders of Europe will focus on the creative process from the perspective of director Apolena Rychlíková and journalist Saša Uhlová. The discussion will address how to promote complex and challenging topics, the difficulties that arose during production, and how these challenges influenced the final work, which was developed alongside a book of reports. We will also discuss institutional support for filmmakers, including legal, psychological, and other professional help, which is crucial for the creation of important societal works. The case study will offer practical insights into the challenges creators face when working on projects with significant societal impact.

16:00 – 17:30 | Artistic Vision and Accountability: A Central European Perspective on Freedom, Censorship, and Filmmaking Dilemmas | Moderated by Andrea Slováková

Panelists: Tomáš Hlaváček (CZ), Marek Kozakiewicz (POL), Maia Martiniak (SK), Anna Rubi (HUN)

Language: English and Czech (with simultaneous interpretation).

This panel discussion will focus on the authorial perspective of filmmakers from Central Europe, reflecting on their responsibility for their creative vision towards the public and institutions. Filmmakers will discuss, based on their personal experiences, practical examples of dilemmas in finding and advocating for topics. The discussion will also raise questions of creative freedom and responsibility, including the possible influence of state or structural (market) censorship on creation. The participants will address the challenges related to institutions and the public that filmmakers face in the Central European context and will offer inspiration for future generations of documentarians.

Accompanying Program:

20:00 | 5:59 LIVE: Is true crime a guarantee of success? | Moderated by Barbora Sochorová

Participants: Michal Reitler, Kristina Ciroková

Language: Czech.

The phenomenon of true crime series, films and podcasts has been trending in the Czech Republic now for several years. What is it about the topic of crime and crime investigation that attracts the audience? Do the creators of the true crime genre have ethical dilemmas that they have to deal with during filming? And is the “true crime = success” equation true?

Thursday, October 31, 2024, IF stage, Horácké Theatre (Komenského 1359)

Institutional Level: Ethics of Creation and Accountability Towards Society

10:00 – 11:30 | Academic Perspective: Accountability and Agenda Setting in Documentary Filmmaking | Moderated by Jan Motal

Language: Czech (with interpretation into English).

Experts from academia and pedagogy will discuss selected topics related to responsibility for subject matter from the perspective of creators and the film industry. The session will cover editorial decisions in public service media, creating a safe environment that fosters collaborative work methods, personal responsibility for the subject, and the issue of gatekeeping within international production and distribution.

Lucie Česálková (Charles University) will focus on the success of documentary films in domestic and international contexts. She examines cultural values and networks of cooperation among decision-makers that influence festival and distribution success.

Andrea Hanáčková (Palacký University Olomouc) will focus on the role of editorial decisions in Czech Radio and their impact on public debate. She will show how the selective choice of topics creates hidden censorship and highlights the internal corrosive processes that marginalize independent journalism.

Mário Homolka (VŠMU) will focus on the responsibility of film schools in educating documentary creators. He discusses the need to integrate ethics into curricula, alongside an emphasis on aesthetics and form, and how this affects the selection of topics.

Hana Muchová (FAMU) will focus on narrative identity as a tool for creating a safe space when filming documentaries about trauma. Her research stems from her long-term project about difficult decisions regarding pregnancy.

Veronika Kováč (Masaryk University) will focus on the responsibility of documentarians for shaping public opinion on polarizing topics. She will explore how filmmakers can contribute to rational-critical debate, as described by Jürgen Habermas.

11:45 - 12:45 | Working Session with School Representatives | Facilitated by Jan Motal, Jan Gogola ml.

Teaching Ethics at Art Schools: Sharing Practice and Experiences.

13:00 – 14:00 | Robert Sinnebrink on Ethics and Accountability in Documentary Filmmaking: Creation, Argumentation, and Impact on Public Debate | Moderated by Andrea Slováková

Language: English (with interpretation into Czech).

The keynote by Robert Sinnebrink will explore the ethical dimensions of documentary filmmaking and the responsibility of filmmakers from various perspectives: creators, documentary subjects, and viewers. Sinnebrink will introduce the concept of "cinematic ethics," in which documentary film serves as a form of ethical understanding and political persuasion. He will also discuss ethical accountability in creating documentary rhetoric, which aims to educate, challenge, and influence societal and cultural-political debates. The lecture will offer a new perspective on responsibility when addressing sensitive topics in filmmaking.

14:30 – 15:15 | On Artistic Freedom and Institutional Accountability in Documentary Filmmaking with Ivo Bystričan: Czechia on Drugs | Moderated by: Jan Motal

Language: Czech (with interpretation into English).

Ivo Bystřičan will offer insight into the creation of the documentary series Czechia on Drugs for Czech Television, with a focus on the relationship between creative freedom and institutional responsibility. The case study will explore how the topic was shaped, how the work was used, and how co-production between Czech Television, the state, and corporation functioned. Bystřičan will also share his experiences with ethical questions related to responsibility towards the audience and co-producers, offering a reflection on how he deals with these challenges in his work.

15:30 – 17:00 | Who Decides What We Film: The Dynamics of Film Production | Moderated by Marek Hovorka

Panelists: Lucie Králová, Radovan Síbrt, Peter Badač

Language: Czech (with interpretation into English).

Why do some topics become the subject of documentary films while others remain overlooked? Who decides what will be filmed – filmmakers, producers, viewers, television, or funding bodies? How do those in charge estimate the needs and interests of the public? This panel will address the question of who and what shapes the topics of audiovisual creation today. It will provide a broad view of the dynamics of film production and the role of ethical responsibility in the contemporary film industry, showing how institutions and creators respond to current societal challenges.

Accompanying Program:

18:00 - 19:30 | Čelisti LIVE: So is it a movie or not? | Moderated by Aleš Stuchlý, Vít Schmarc, Tomáš Stejskal

Language: Czech.

The show that has long proclaimed that documentary is not film will be presented at the most important Czech documentary festival. Čelisti simply accept responsibility for the topic and head to the cold Czech Highlands to either defend or reconsider their radical views. What documentaries from recent years have made them happy – and was the Czech Joy or Short Joy? Will Aleš Stuchlý, Vít Schmarc and Tomáš Stejskal ever make their documentary Opus Bonum? A fascinating evening that toes the line between film criticism and a mere prank.

The conference is organized by the Ji.hlava IDFF in conjunction with the Center for Media Ethics and Dialogue (CEMETIK) at the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University with the support of the Czech Film Fund.

The event is part of the Visegrad Accelerator.