Critical Writing Index

The uphill battle for real filmmakers

by Matthew Hays

POV, Spring 2011, no. 81, pp. 38-40

This article dicusses the recent documentaries coming out of Frederic Bohbot's production house Bunbury Films, one of the busiest documentary think tanks in Quebec. Producing an eclectic yet cohesive group in 2011, the docs of this year all deal with community based, environmentally concious, culture concerned issues. Bohbot discusses the struggles of being a documentary filmmaker today, particularly in terms of financial aid, while questioning the doc's reliace on commerical viability for success. Bohbot discusses the oppositional approaches of documentary films vs. television, stating "...filmmakers want to make a certain statement that often doesn't work for television, and proof of that can be seen in the current state of the documentary bussiness in Canada..." He goes on to outline the array of cuts that have been implemented in the field. Bohbot leaves us questioning: is the documentary film slowing becoming extinct? forced to conform to the parameters and limitations which characterize television culture?

ITEM 2011.026 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Once a Nazi...Frederic Bohbot

Land of DestinyBrett Story

Work in ProgressBill Stone

Burning WaterCameron Esler

Burning WaterTadzio Richard

Underdog PlazaEvan Beloff

Leaving the FoldFrederic Bohbot