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Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson You have a passion for photography and documentary. What is it about those art forms that attracts you so much? Rod: Both offer a route into understanding peoples lives; still images shot on film in black & white are perfect for discreetly capturing everyday scenes of street life, the stills camera feels less intrusive and draws less attention, so I like working in this way. These images put together in sequence start to tell a story, sometimes in a timeless way. My work is all about telling stories, so I like how still images, particularly in B&W, capture people and events frozen in time.
Documentary moving image is a medium that is really coming of age, never has there been such an interest in films that capture and describe people and events around the world, and now there are more and more platforms to show them on. I love how documentary films still have an audience that want to hear about real peoples lives, even in an era of celebrity culture and fake news. Documentary filmmaking has taken me to many interesting parts of the world and allowed me to meet many extraordinary people, some have challenged my value and beliefs, but most have given me a sense of hope and belief that feeds me as a filmmaker.
You guys have a documentary workshop coming up. What can you tell us about that?
Rod: The workshop is called - Storytelling by the Sea, because we love telling stories and there are so many stories to be told, particularly as we move out of lockdown, and people try to make sense of what they have been through.
It's a 6-day practical workshop covering the key skills of documentary film making; researching, shooting, editing and exporting for the screening at the end of the course. We have a great venue and a diverse range of locations for shooting, from the sea, to the town and beautiful nature right on our doorstep. The last course produced seven films on a wide range of subjects, all shot, edited and screened during the week. A breakdown of the course structure can be found on our website. How can people get involved? Rod: They should check out the course details at :- www.storytellingbythesea.com and make a booking by following the link.
We are really excited to meet some new filmmakers and see the next batch of films created on the course. The course is open to everyone, from different backgrounds, ages, and levels of experience, this helps create an open and relaxed atmosphere in which to learn and create. What has been your favourite film to make and why? Ross: My favourite had to be my documentary in Ukraine, which was a love story between a neo-Nazi, and a feminist. I really enjoyed working with my colleague Julia. Together we crafted the story delicately, bouncing ideas off each other. We would relay these ideas back to our producer Thomas, who would further advise us. Before and after shoots we would drink coffee and plan exactly what we would ask, where we would place the camera and how we would make cinematic sequences to tell the story visually. As is often with documentary, you go into the process thinking your story is about one thing – but then discover it’s about something totally different. We discovered whilst making this film, that the story was actually about post-traumatic stress disorder arising from combat and extremist politics. Dima our main character, once a neo-fascist, managed to transition into an activist for LGBT rights whilst we were filming. Where can people see it? Ross: https://www.ross-domoney.com/a-ukrainian-love What's next for you, after the workshop? Ross: I will be editing footage of hundreds of dreams which I have collected on Metro trains from around the world. Weird I know, but the rushes are totally wild. It was an attempt to use documentary filmmaking as a way to enter the subconscious world of commuters, from cities undergoing moments of crisis. You can see more about the project here; www.metro-dreams.com Who are your top 3 documentaries? Ross: Undercover OAP: The Mole Agent, A Shape of Things to Come, Minding the Gap What would you say if you were a dolphin? Ross: I would say; ‘How do I make a narrative out of hundreds of random dreams?’ #ChrisOlson #FilmmakerInterview
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