Ex Oriente Film and East Doc Forum

Display Schedule

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
303MEXOR credit 2 8 seminar hours (45 min) of instruction per semester, 44 to 54 hours of self-study English summer

Subject guarantor

Lukáš KOKEŠ

Name of lecturer(s)

Lukáš KOKEŠ

Contents

Ex Oriente Film is an international documentary writing workshop focused on creative development and financing. During 3 meetings, directors will develop the theme, story, visual style, and presentation of their upcoming films. Producers will work intensively on the financial plan, production, and distribution strategy of their project and gain knowledge of the international market. The module includes lectures on the economic aspects of film production, directing masterclasses, and producing case studies.

  1. Ex Oriente Film workshop: “Market, Here I Am!“

The lectures of the third meeting of the Ex Oriente Film workshop offer practical case studies on distribution, production, marketing strategies, and directing masterclasses.

Ex Oriente Film is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, which will be commemorated with screenings of four recently completed films: Blix Not Bombs (dir. Greta Stocklassa), Motherland (dir. Alexander Mihalkovich, Hanna Badziaka), Outside (dir. Olha Zhurba) and Too Close (dir. Botond Püsök), which graduated from the workshop and are part of the One World Festival 2023.

Open Programme for Ex Oriente Film

Friday 24 March, 18:00-19:30

Screening: The Swedish Theory of Love (dir. Erik Gandini, SE, 2015, 90’)

Sweden is typically portrayed as having a perfectly organized society where everyone has equal opportunities for an independent existence. One consequence is that people don’t need to ask anyone else for help or favors, bringing contact between individuals to an absolute minimum. Half the population lives in single households, and an increasing number of women are choosing single motherhood through artificial insemination. Meanwhile, the number of people dying alone is continually on the rise. The woeful succession of sperm banks, deserted residential areas, and forgotten deaths casts a disturbing light on the downside to an independent society in which the only truly social activity appears to be searching for missing people. The film raises the fascinating question of why a life lived in such security and safety should turn out to be so unsatisfying. Some Swedes are putting up courageous resistance. The film first shows a group of young people organizing gatherings in the woods to surrender to their emotions and reform ties of kinship. The second part of the film focuses on a successful surgeon who has moved away to Ethiopia, where despite the lack of material wealth, he has relearned the value of community. In conclusion, maverick sociologist Zygmunt Bauman explains why a trouble-free life isn’t necessarily a happy one. The screening is related to Erik Gandini’s masterclass.

Saturday 25 March, 09:30-11:00

Lecture on international co-production with Germany: a case study with Ümit Uludag (Corso Film)

How, when, and under what conditions does Corso Film enter into co-productions? What type of financing can be accessed with a German producer on board? German producer Ümit Uludag will present several case studies on recent successful international documentary co-productions completed by the German production company Corso Film. We will explore different financing strategies with a special focus on international collaborations on projects originating from Central and Eastern Europe: A Woman Captured (dir. Bernadett Tuza Ritter, HU, DE, 2017), Acasa, My Home (dir. Radu Ciorniciuc, RO, FI, DE, 2020), The Wall of Shadows (dir. Eliza Kubarska, PL, DE, CH, 2021), Blix Not Bombs (dir. Greta Stocklassa, CZ, SE, DE, 2023).

Saturday 25 March 16:30-17:30

Lecture by producer and industry expert Iikka Vehkalahti: What are the most common mistakes made when pitching trailers?

Why it is so difficult? To make a good teaser? And is it needed only for financiers? Let’s talk to find 10 most common sins in the teaser-thinking.

Saturday 25 March, 18:00-19:30 (Ponrepo Cinema)

Screening: After Work (dir. Erik Gandini, SE, 2022, 81’)

The majority of the jobs that exist today could vanish in a few decades. As automation and artificial intelligence exceed human capacity, we will be forced to rethink the role work plays in our lives. This film explores this future scenario. With characters and narratives across four continents, the film seeks an existential answer to what work means today, and what things could be like in the future. The screening is related to Erik Gandini’s masterclass.

Saturday 25 March, 20:30-22:00 (Lucerna Cinema)

Screening: Blix Not Bombs (dir. Greta Stocklassa, CZ, SE, DE, 2023, 85’)

Greta had just turned 8 years old when she watched the unfolding of 9/11 on her tv in Stockholm. In the following months and years she saw her fellow countryman, the diplomat Hans Blix, become a major player in the global crisis, as the weapons inspector for the UN. Now, in the 21st century of wars, political extremes, and climate catastrophes, Greta reaches out to Blix, now 94 years old, to ask if he can help her make sense of the world. Does diplomacy still have a role? Or is he the last of the great negotiators? The screening is related to Ümit Uludag's lecture.

Sunday 26 March, 9:30-11:00

Lecture by Mikael Opstrup: „Character-based documentary film is the only art form that filmmakers cannot influence“

This is a quote from Mikael Opstrup‘s book The Uncertainty about developing character driven documentaries. In his lecture Mikael will address this and other issues from his book: The difference between events and stories, presenting a film that doesn’t exist and what it means that a pitch trailer is not a piece of work in its own right. The lecture will focus on the complex answer to the simple question: What are we looking for? - with related detours to the different elements in documentary filmmaking in general.

Sunday 26 March, 16:30-17:15

Case Study by Ben Kempas on the impact campaign for the film Oil Machine

The impact campaign of Emma Davie’s Oil Machine will be discussed during a case study by Ben Kempas, a campaign specialist, a founder and a company director of Film & Campaign Ltd. Clients across Europe and North America hire Ben as strategic consultant or hands-on outreach producer to identify and engage target audiences, create networks and partnerships, organize grassroots events, produce additional content or virtual screenings, and build action-focused websites.

Sunday 26 March, 17:30-19:00

Masterclass by director Erik Gandini (SE)

In this masterclass, acclaimed filmmaker and producer Erik Gandini will offer the audience an essential exploration of the art and craft of his directing. The Italian-born, Swedish-based film director, producer and writer is known for Surplus: Terrorized into Being Consumers (2003), Gitmo (2005), Videocracy (2009), The Swedish Theory of Love (2015) and his latest documentary After Work (2022).

Sunday 26 March, 18:00-19:30

Screening: The Oil Machine (dir. Emma Davie, UK, 22, 82‘)

Oil has been an invisible machine at the core of our economy and society. It now faces an uncertain future as activists and investors demand change. Is the end of oil? By highlighting the complexities of how oil is embedded in our society - from high finance to cheap consumer goods - The Oil Machine brings together a wide range of voices from oil company executives, economists, young activists, workers, scientists, and pension fund managers. it considers how this machine can be tamed, dismantled, or repurposed. We have five to ten years to control our oil addiction, yet the permitting of new oil fields continues in direct contradiction with the Paris Climate Agreement. This documentary looks at how the drama of global climate action is playing out in the fight over North Sea oil. Oil companies are convinced that they can continue to drill while maintaining their net-zero ambitions by adopting new technologies, such as carbon capture. However, climate scientists are deeply skeptical of the Net Zero concept and the time it would take for these technologies to be effective. The film reveals the hidden infrastructure of oil, from offshore drilling platforms and buried pipelines to its flow through London's stock exchanges. As the North Sea industry struggles to meet the need to cut carbon emissions, oil workers see their livelihoods threatened, and investors struggle to protect their assets. Meanwhile, a younger generation of climate activists is driven by signs of impending chaos and the very real threat of rising global sea levels. The Oil Machine explores the complexities of transitioning away from oil and gas as a society and considers how quickly we can do it.

Sunday 26 March, 19:15-20:45

Screening: Fragile Memory (Igor Ivanko, UA, SK, 2022, 85’)

Soviet cinematographer Leonid Burlaka worked at Odessa Film Studio in the 60s on dozens of films that have traveled the world. Today he’s in his 80s and diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As his memory fades away, his grandson Igor, a young filmmaker, follows the tracks that Leonid left behind via film rolls, homemade videos, letters, and forgotten friends. As he dives deeper and deeper into the archive, Igor realizes that the story of his grandfather has historical value. Burlaka started his career at a time when scripts were rejected and artists were dealing with censorship and he was established as a cinematographer in the mid-60s when the soviet repression finally relaxed. This political change is present in his works and also creates a strong bond between Igor and Leonid, since both of these two men started working in cinema in times of turmoil. Having the fear that Leonid’s memory will be eventually erased completely, Igor reaches out to his old friends and colleagues to find lost pieces that will hopefully reveal forgotten aspects of his grandfather’s life. However, Leonid’s memory fades faster and faster - will he be able to see the new life that Igor gives to his archive? The screening is related to Christa Auderlitzky’s lecture.

Monday 27 March, 10:00-11:15

Panel Discussion: How Can You Make Movies And Keep Your Sanity?

In the highly competitive environment of the audiovisual industry, mental health has been a rather taboo topic up to now. People working in the industry are often on the verge of burnout due to the stressful working conditions. They often consider changing careers and ask themselves whether their work is worth the uncertainties it brings; whether this relates to funding, finding a work-life balance, or struggling to juggle many things at once. Louise Johansen, founder of the Sane Cinema programme, Jana Neustupová from the company New Era Safety, Mikoláš Arsenjev, director of After the Silence Was Broken, and other speakers representing this year’s One World Festival will talk about preventing occupational risks and their connection to documentary filmmaking on a panel dedicated to the mental health of documentary filmmakers.

Monday 27 March, 15:00 – 16:00

Presentation of the organizations Pitch the Doc & ShareDocs

Pitch the Doc is an online hub for documentary professionals, and a catalogue of curated documentary projects. It‘s an example of a web-based tool for professional preparation of “film packs”, and for continuous promotion and building the international recognition of documentary projects – how to use it to establish new contacts, and to maintain business relations initiated at pitchings and co-production meetings.

Are you a documentary maker aiming to support the protagonists involved in your film and to share their unique story? Then ShareDoc might be just for you. This new free-to-use platform offers a unique solution for making a change with your film. ShareDoc would like to be seen as a crossroad between everyone involved in the lifecycle of a documentary. Through setting up a profile on the platform and implementing simple QR code in your film credits, the viewers could directly donate to your cause, characters or otherwise contribute to the good thing.

The session will introduce both of these platforms and how you could join as a filmmaker, what are the benefits and what is needed to join. For more info visit www.pitchthedoc.com and www.share-doc.org.

Monday 27 March, 16:30-18:00

Lecture and case study: International distribution strategy for the documentary Fragile Memory

Christa Auderlitzky, distributor, sales agent and director of the international sales company Filmdelight will present case studies of the sales and distribution of film titles from the CEE region from her company's catalogue. She will introduce the audience to the distribution strategy of the internationally acclaimed film Fragile Memory (dir. Ihor Ivanko). She will further expand her lesson with an update on the possibilities of international cooperation and co-production between Austrian filmmakers and CEE producers.

The lecture is organised with the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Prague.

Monday 27 March, 18:30 - 20:00

Complexities of Power: Two Gatekeepers in Conversation

In collaboration with the audience, Ruth Reid and Caroline Libresco wade into a reservoir of charged topics shaping the documentary film ecosystem and their own work: the status of women, producers as creatives, the art and alchemy of nonfiction storytelling, financing hurdles, the future of independent film, sustainability and burnout, fomenting change, personal drive, and political purpose.

This keynote is supported by American Film Showcase and the U.S. Embassy in the Czech Republic.

Monday 27 March, 20:30 – 22:00 (Světozor Cinema)

Screening with introduction by producer Filip Remunda: Eastern Europe (Vitaly Mansky, LV, CZ, UA, US, 2023, 98‘)

Kyiv, August 24, 2022, Ukraine’s Independence Day. A burnt-out tank on a deserted street. A voiceover tells us: “This is the central axis of the capital of Ukraine. This is Russian military equipment. This is not victory yet.” Half a year has passed since the whole world became aware of Russia’s attack. It actually began in 2014, but many did not perceive it as such at the time. This is also explained by the voice in the commentary that belongs to Vitaly Mansky. The other director, Yevhen Titarenko, captures an insider’s images which reveal precisely what (this) war means. He has been with the “Hospitallers” volunteer medical battalion since 2014 and is now on full duty. He and his eight-person brigade encounter cows that are sinking in mud, dogs that have gone feral and people in close proximity with death. The shift from scenes on the frontline in the east to home leave with the family in the west, where questions are asked and conversations held (and where the men deposit their sperm for posterity), make the scenes on duty seem almost like memories. At times disturbingly raw and direct, yet always enlightening, this film shows in close-up how a nation is fighting for its survival.

Tuesday 28 March, 20:30 – 22:00 (Ponrepo Cinema)

Screening: The Oil Machine (dir. Emma Davie, UK, 22, 82‘)

Oil has been an invisible machine at the core of our economy and society. It now faces an uncertain future as activists and investors demand change. Is the end of oil? By highlighting the complexities of how oil is embedded in our society - from high finance to cheap consumer goods - The Oil Machine brings together a wide range of voices from oil company executives, economists, young activists, workers, scientists, and pension fund managers. it considers how this machine can be tamed, dismantled, or repurposed. We have five to ten years to control our oil addiction, yet the permitting of new oil fields continues in direct contradiction with the Paris Climate Agreement. This documentary looks at how the drama of global climate action is playing out in the fight over North Sea oil. Oil companies are convinced that they can continue to drill while maintaining their net-zero ambitions by adopting new technologies, such as carbon capture. However, climate scientists are deeply skeptical of the Net Zero concept and the time it would take for these technologies to be effective. The film reveals the hidden infrastructure of oil, from offshore drilling platforms and buried pipelines to its flow through London's stock exchanges. As the North Sea industry struggles to meet the need to cut carbon emissions, oil workers see their livelihoods threatened, and investors struggle to protect their assets. Meanwhile, a younger generation of climate activists is driven by signs of impending chaos and the very real threat of rising global sea levels. The Oil Machine explores the complexities of transitioning away from oil and gas as a society and considers how quickly we can do it.

The full East Doc Platform 2023 Open Programme can be found athttps://dokweb.net/aktivity/east-doc-platform/2023/program

Learning outcomes

The aim of the module is to deepen students' knowledge of educational programmes, markets, and co-production forums focused on documentary films.

Prerequisites and other requirements

MANDATORY REGISTRATION: by March 17, 2023 to Tereza Šťastná, tstastna@dokweb.net +420 739 421 286 and at the same time at https://forms.dokweb.net/accreditation/index.php to obtain free industry accreditation, enter the code: Filmstudent2023

Literature

https://dokweb.net/aktivity/east-doc-platform/2023/program

https://dokweb.net/aktivity/ex-oriente-film/2022/o-workshopu

Evaluation methods and criteria

attending at least 3 lectures and submitting a 2NS reflection on what you found interesting and new in the lecture

Note

The complete East Doc Platform 2023 Open Program can be found at https://dokweb.net/aktivity/east-doc-platform/2023/program

Further information

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2022/2023:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2022/2023:

Date Day Time Tutor Location Notes No. of paralel
24.03.2023 – Lukáš KOKEŠ
24-27 March 2023, French Institute parallel1

The subject is a part of the following study plans