Month: November 2025
Mapping a Life: How the 7-Stage Life Map Strengthens Biographical Documentary Storytelling
Understanding a person’s life is never a simple chronological exercise. In biographical documentaries, the filmmaker must organise years of lived experience into a coherent, emotionally resonant narrative that communicates both character and meaning. The 7-Stage Life Map is one of the most effective tools for achieving this. It structures a subject’s life into seven narrative…
Documentary Filmmaking and the UN SDGs: Pathway for Student Filmmakers
For emerging filmmakers, documentary practice is more than a technical exercise; it is a means of observing society, interpreting change, and contributing thoughtfully to collective aspirations. In recent years, one of the most productive frameworks for giving direction to such creative inquiry has been the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 goals—ranging from…
Research in Documentary Planning
The nonfiction cinema—where technology accelerates production, audiences expect immediacy, and platforms demand constant content—research continues to serve as the backbone of any serious documentary practice. While documentaries may be celebrated for their realism, spontaneity, and access to lived experience, the foundation of every credible film lies in the filmmaker’s commitment to understanding the subject with…