Capturing Social Reality｜Drawing Nourishment

As a visual expression of real life, documentaries are gaining increasing recognition from film enthusiasts for their charm. Over the years, the Documentary category of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) Golden Goblet Awards has explored different dimensions and perspectives, using visual storytelling to illuminate the brilliance of human nature and witness the reflection and resilience of humanity in the face of real-life challenges. On June 15th, the filmmakers of the nominated documentaries for the Golden Goblet Awards, including ANXIOUS IN BEIRUT, LEAP OF FAITH, MOSES’ SPIES, THE CARAVAN and THE PASSION OF MAHMOUD‎, attended a meet-and-greet event to discuss their choice of themes, innovation of the subject matter, and filming techniques.

Reflecting Social Reality from Multiple Perspectives

The directors of the nominated films for this year’s Golden Goblet Awards Documentary have all chosen to explore the common challenges and topics faced by people worldwide.

THE CARAVAN is the debut film by directors Nuria Clavero and Aitor Palacios, which documents the arduous journey of a pregnant woman from Honduras who travels to the US-Mexico border in an illegal attempt to give birth in the US. The directors have been devoted to making documentaries on socio-political subjects, and during their visit to Reynosa, Mexico, they learned about the large number of immigrants passing through this border city. Inspired by this, they decided to make this documentary and got acquainted with the protagonist of the film. Director Nuria Clavero recalled, “She had the American dream and wanted to create a future for her children in the US, so she tried everything to go there.” Laura Collado, the producer from Mexico, aimed to tell the immigrant story from a European director’s perspective, exploring the issue that captures global attention.

Themes centered around warm family life often resonate strongly with audiences. THE PASSION OF MAHMOUD portrays the daily life of an underprivileged middle-aged man and features a story within a story to present Mahmoud’s life authentically. “Mahmoud is always immersed in memories of the past and expectations for the future, caught in a state of confusion between the past, present, and future,” said director Davoud Abdolmaleki. “He is filled with complex stories. We all live in the present while also living in the past and the future. It is precisely this unimaginable complexity that I want to discuss with the audience.”

ANXIOUS IN BEIRUT is the debut feature film by young Lebanese director Zakaria Jaber, which chronicles his personal experiences with family and friends in Beirut. Coming from a family involved in the film industry, Jaber’s father is also a filmmaker. Upon receiving the email notifying him of the film’s nomination in the Golden Goblet Awards Documentary category, Jaber was “shocked” and could hardly believe he was so lucky. In order to authentically portray the turmoil in Beirut, he spent three years filming, focusing on the financial crisis, protests, the port explosion and other hot topics. “The biggest challenge during editing was how to convey the anxiety to the audience. That’s why we didn’t use a script and relied entirely on the actors to drive the story forward.”

Innovative and Forward-Looking Themes

Director Yang Linan was previously nominated in Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition for her feature film SPRING TIDE and has served as a judge for the Documentary category. This time, Yang Linan returns with her latest documentary, LEAP OF FAITH. The film focuses on teenage equestrians and their equine partners, portraying the everyday moments they share. Unlike most documentaries that focus on social issues and global topics, Yang Linan has chosen a fresh theme. Through her film, she aims to help people understand the challenges of equestrian sports and how girls navigate interpersonal relationships as they grow up. “I have made documentaries about retired people sunbathing on the roadside and children in orphanages, but society is diverse, and these girls and their families are important members of society as well.”

In the eyes of many, equestrian is a sport for the wealthy. However, during the filming process, Yang Linan discovered that being financially well-off is not a guarantee to becoming a professional equestrian. The most prominent characteristic of the sport is its elimination mechanism. “It is one of the rare international events where men and women compete together, but girls are easily eliminated in the later stages. I want to capture their experiences and showcase the forward-looking nature of equestrian sports through my film.”

Izek Lerner, director of MOSES’ SPIES, has produced multiple television documentaries on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the West Bank of the Jordan River. This time, he takes a different approach by shifting the perspective to internal Israeli spies and the psychological challenges they face. “This group is very unique, and no documentary director has focused on them before. However, I want to show everyone the realities and difficulties they face.”

Drawing Nourishment from Documentary Filmmaking

Over the years, director Yang Linan has maintained a habit of alternating between documentary and narrative filmmaking, fully absorbing the energy of life and society. “I have always believed that starting with documentaries provides excellent training because they offer more freedom, whereas drama requires substantial funding and team support. Drama can also draw nourishment from documentaries. The value of making documentaries is no less than that of drama.”

In THE PASSION OF MAHMOUD‎, the protagonist moves between real-life and fictional scenes, with the boundaries between documentary and narrative films being broken, making it easier for the audience to immerse themselves in the story.

Director Davoud Abdolmaleki believes that whether it’s a documentary or a drama, everyone approaches a film with their own life experiences and perspectives. “So, I try my best to set aside my personal viewpoint and portray the protagonist’s life authentically. I was also curious about his life while shooting and made an effort to find answers through Mahmoud. He also discovered himself through my film.” Abdolmaleki expresses his hope, saying, “I hope that after watching the film, all viewers can understand a different way of life, rather than merely seeing traces of the director. That’s the effect I aim to achieve.”