Rithy Panh during the Qumra 2021 press briefing
The triumph of three young filmmakers in making cinema amidst the pandemic, under the mentorship of Oscar-nominated Cambodian-French creative documentarian Rithy Panh, was highlighted at Qumra 2021, Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) annual talent incubator for Arab cinema.
Addressing the media, Rithy Panh commented, ultimately, making cinema is about looking into yourself, your past, our future, the world around us and our memories. “All your stories are inside your body,” said Rithy, who tutored filmmakers as part of DFI’s Short Documentary Lab.
The sessions were virtual, including group discussions and several one-on-one sessions. He said the external challenges do not limit your ability to “narrate your story or point of view.” Joining him were the directors of the documentaries selected for the Doc Lab: Majid Al-Remaihi (And Then They Burn the Sea – Qatar/Arabic, English/2021); Maysaa Almumin (…And I Was Left Behind - Qatar, Kuwait/Arabic/2021); and Suzannah Mirghani (Virtual Voice – Qatar, Sudan/ English/2021).
The overarching sentiment of the directors was that the experience of making the films during the pandemic made them more self-reliant. Despite the lack of crew and other support systems, they said the sessions with Rithy helped them fine-tune their work, especially as they looked further inward to find solutions for their creative challenges. Al Remaihi said his documentary was an extension of what he was doing at the Doc Lab, which he was attending for the third time.
He said the key learning from Rithy, “vague and cliched, as it may sound, is to trust your intuition. The confidence as a director is not something you earn at once. It is a process. The tonality and positioning also do not come in an instant; you need to act on it and continue to affirm it, which is something I learnt – and continue to learn – from Rithy.
The Doc Lab knew what was needed in terms of a toolkit and helped us in achieving our vision and the direction we were exploring.” Mirghani said the experience of making her documentary was totally different as it is “technically made online. Mine is the quintessential quarantine film, and I was inspired by the films Rithy showed.”
She said that working remotely had its pros and cons. “While we missed the closeness of having your cast and crew, [we must realise] this is the reality. We have adapted, learnt new skills, particularly the skill of relying on yourself. And we had all the help we needed. The lab changed my traditional idea of documentaries, and what my documentary tries to explore is how we are as humans because we are socially distant.”
Almumin said the strange, unusual circumstances “called for us to be innovative and creative. I don’t think I have had so much control over my film as I had now, and by doing things oneself comes self-reliance, which leads to a learning curve. There is a lot more ownership to my film. It was wonderful to be a student once again, and it was great to make a film exactly like a designer.”
