In this 2-hour seminar, we investigate the complex and often delicate relationship between the filmmaker and the characters in their films. We explore how different bonds form during movie production and how these relationships can reflect dynamics of power and ethics. What happens when your character is vulnerable, non-human, the environment, a perpetrator, or even filmmaking itself? How do these conditions challenge traditional documentary approaches? Through critical reflection on authorship, authenticity, and representation, this seminar centers the subjects in front of the camera and examines the responsibilities filmmakers hold toward them. Whether you are a filmmaker, artist, academic, or interested in ethical storytelling, this seminar invites you to consider how trust, care, and power shape the act of filmmaking—and how these ties influence the stories we tell.
Linda Paganelli is an artist, anthropologist, and filmmaker who blends decolonial and queer*feminist perspectives with immersive visual storytelling. With over 13 years of experience collaborating with universities, museums, and cultural institutions, Linda draws on her extensive field research conducted in Afghanistan, Palestine/Israel, and the South West Balkans. She guides you through intimate, ethical, and inclusive filmmaking practices that honor memory, resistance, and more-than-human worlds.
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