Idea
The practical course “Transcultural Documentary Film Group” not only offered a unique opportunity to discover the world of documentary film, but also promoted intercultural dialog and artistic self-development. Under the direction of experienced filmmakers, this project became an important contribution to cultural diversity and identity building.

Goal
The aim of the course was to create a platform on which interested people with and without previous experience could work together on documentary film projects. As a collective, individual interests, questions and experiences were recorded and processed in the form of a documentary film. The topics arose from Interaction Leipzig’s field of activity: transculturality, migration and identity.

Implementation
The practical course was organized by the Brazilian filmmakers
Elissa de Brito
and
Pedro Henrique Risse
guided. Thanks to the many years of experience of the two filmmakers, all participants gained detailed insights into the production of documentary films and its most important tools:

• Theme and concept development
• Documentary language: interview, narrative structure, aesthetics
• Camera work, audio and lighting technology
• Film editing

The course included various steps from planning to presentation of the results and group discussion. The course participants made two films during the course: One highlighted the life experiences of three Venezuelan migrants living in Leipzig, the other explored the architecture and daily life in the Grünau district. The films were shown in the
East Passage Theater
followed by discussions with the filmmakers and a relaxed musical atmosphere.