09.04 / 9:30 AM @ ZeLIG
Documentary filmmaking is more than recording reality; it constructs narratives that inform, challenge, and engage audiences. Unlike drama, which allows creative liberties, documentaries are anchored in trust, requiring integrity and authenticity between filmmaker and subject. While documentaries aim to depict reality, they do not simply mirror the truth. Instead, they pursue truth through rigorous investigation, ethical storytelling, and evidence-based subjectivity, balancing objective facts with the filmmaker's perspective while embracing innovation.
Rather than mirroring reality, documentary filmmaking serves as a hammer, shaping perceptions and fostering critical engagement. The film And Miles I Go Before I Sleep addresses complex societal divisions, such as pro-migrant worker and pro-police perspectives, ethical dilemmas in secret recordings and editing, and the questioning of mainstream dichotomies to deepen our understanding of social issues.
This film employs a unique narrative structure, combining investigative journalism, a double-axis contrast method to present multiple viewpoints, and an exploration of the human soul, capturing the emotional and psychological dimensions of real-life struggles. Beyond migrant worker issues, Tsai Tsung Lung’s work examines the evolving identity of New immigrants, the experiences of Chinese Taiwanese businessmen, social movements, and the transformation of immigrant cultures.
Both public television and independent filmmaking offer distinct advantages and challenges. Public television provides resources, audience reach, and institutional support, while independent filmmaking allows greater creative freedom and investigative depth but faces financial and logistical constraints.
This masterclass critically examines documentary filmmaking as both a mirror and a hammer, shaping how we perceive and construct reality. Join us in exploring truth, ethics, and innovation in the documentary process.