How Do Political Docs Stay Alive in New Trump Era? Key Documentary Players Meet at CPH:DOX to Ponder Alternatives After ‘Streamers Went to the Right’

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On a Tuesday at the CPH:DOX documentary festival in Copenhagen, influential figures from European broadcasting, financing, and production, along with notable U.S. market players, convened for a private lunch at the Odd Fellow Palace. Their agenda centered around the escalating risks to politically-focused documentaries by journalists. The aim of this gathering was to brainstorm strategies for continuing to finance and distribute these political documentaries without relying on major U.S. producers and distributors such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Disney.

Participants in the gathering were Barbara Truyen, head of the EBU Documentary Group, Barbara Truyen; Anders Bruus, representative from DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation); Lea Fels, partner at Scenery production company; Christian Beetz, chief executive officer of Beetz Brothers, a German production house; Alexandre Marionneau, head of international coproduction for ARTE France’s Society and Culture Department; Geralyn Dreyfous, co-founder of Impact Partners and an Oscar-winning producer; Mette Heide, proprietor of Plus Pictures and a producer; and Sarah Mowaswes, a producer at Jigsaw.

I, Mowaswes, am currently in Copenhagen, representing myself as a resident of the U.S., to take part in the CPH:Forum with an untitled documentary on Edward Said that I’m collaborating on with Alex Gibney. Although our pitch at the Forum is no longer open, I am excited to share that the film, focusing on the late Columbia University literary critic and prominent advocate for Palestinian independence, will be narrated by Said’s voice and feature archival footage.

Mowaswes mentioned that the family has granted us access, making it a delightful development. However, we anticipate that U.S. distribution might not materialize. Consequently, we’re here in CPH to engage with European investors, discuss potential funding sources, and initiate talks with partners who are open to investing in a political narrative, despite the inherent risks.

Directed by Maiken Baird, the doc is currently being independently financed.

Mowaswes remarked, “As a Palestinian, simply living your life makes you political, and this was true for Edward. It seems that when you enter Europe, people are more open to discussing him. The achievement of ‘No Other Land’ overseas has been pleasant, but we understand that it will be challenging to make progress (with this film).

As a passionate admirer, I’m sharing that Mowaswes, like numerous creators at CPH:DOX, is on a quest for European co-producers. The U.S. gatekeepers’ MAGA-influenced approach has led to a freeze in development financing within America, making it challenging for daring projects to secure funding. It seems that major platforms are only supporting documentaries that offer an escape rather than stirring up controversy, as one CPH attendee aptly described them – “escapism docs.” Regrettably, Alex Gibney’s masterpiece, “The Bibi Files,” which delves into the corruption allegations against Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remains without a U.S. theatrical distributor even after its sensational world premiere at Toronto in September.

However, as per Fels’ perspective, if an American production is contemplating collaboration with a European company for filmmaking, it would be beneficial for the filmmakers to expand their narrative style.

Fels stated, “Americans shouldn’t only bring tales from an American viewpoint; instead, it should be a joint effort and mutual comprehension of the narratives they wish to convey. If an American filmmaker arrives here merely to obtain subsidies for a movie about Elon [Musk], I believe that isn’t the best strategy. The aim should always be to tell stories that are global in nature. Therefore, the question arises as to how we can narrate universal stories from various regions? I think there’s much to benefit if we can manage that.

Beetz, who collaborates with leading streaming platforms, concurred with Fels and pointed out that although there’s potential for documentaries in Europe, securing funding can be quite challenging.

Beetz remarked, “Our approach is significantly distinct here. It emphasizes collaboration, and European countries still boast robust funding mechanisms and public broadcaster systems with a keen interest in extensive documentaries. However, it’s important to note that accessing these funding sources can be challenging due to their complexity.

Beetz confessed that lately, it’s been challenging to locate an American residence for certain documentaries he finances in Europe.

Beetz mentioned that Netflix previously distributed our films, but their focus has now shifted dramatically. Nowadays, they seem more focused on what Beetz refers to as ‘bikini shows,’ which feature young individuals in bikinis on beaches. It appears they have lost interest in stories revolving around political or social issues. Finding a new distribution strategy could be beneficial since the streaming platforms seem to be leaning towards conservative content.

On March 24th, the Beetz Brothers revealed their new high-profile documentary titled “Tesla Files.” This film focuses on the supposed threat posed by Elon Musk’s political power and influence. The production is associated with the CPH:Forum and is being jointly produced with German public broadcaster ARD.

Among the two documentaries about Elon Musk currently in production, “Tesla Files” is one of them. On the other hand, Gibney’s upcoming documentary titled “Musk” has distribution deals with HBO Max. In 2023, Universal Pictures Content Group purchased international rights for the film. The question remains as to whether or not David Zaslav will have the courage to potentially clash with Trump by allowing “Musk” to stream on Max.

During the hour-long meal, discussions revolved around various aspects such as dividing film rights, waiving global rights, selling territories one at a time, and reducing budgets for American documentaries.

Truyen found it both intriguing and awkward to talk about this subject with the Americans present, as our budgets are smaller in Europe compared to yours. However, we manage to create exceptional documentaries,” he commented, which drew laughter from the audience. He suggested that if we could find a budget that suits all parties, we can actually save money by producing it at a lower cost. The intellectual property would then belong to the producer, which is beneficial for everyone.

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2025-03-26 19:47