Film making lessons from the Duchess of Documentaries
Not many people are fans of documentary films. To many, documentaries are those boring things that hit you with the reality and at times have a preachy tone and sad ending. I too had some of these misconceptions in mind when I appeared at the Mequinez Palace auditorium to attend the Master Class by Oscar winning documentary filmmaker Megan Mylan and Sophy Sivaraman. Megan Mylan, by showing us the trailers of some of her films and sharing her stories and experiences during the making of the films laid out what makes a great documentary film and a great documentary filmmaker. It is important to be an observational filmmaker first. Funding comes later, said the director. A good documentary filmmaker stays true to his own style of storytelling regardless of the consequences. It is one own choice whether to pitch a proposal to NGOs or other organizations which might lead the influence of the benefactor to creep in, or to work with a modest budget, choosing sponsors who give