Calendar – Past Event

The USC Shoah Foundation Institute (SFI) has been in contact with a number of documentary filmmakers over the past years, all of whom have been involved in the creation of documentaries or film projects dealing with the topic of genocide. These filmmakers have interviewed survivors and/or witnesses of these genocides, footage of which has often been substantially included into their respective films. While clips are taken from these interviews to weave into a film’s narrative, the interviews as a whole often remain intact in a filmmaker’s collection of footage. The value of these interviews or testimonies potentially goes above and beyond the documentary for which they have been created. For example, they may be of value to secondary and/or post-secondary education whether it is scholarly research of particular genocides or tolerance teaching.

This panel discussion with a strong audience participatory Q & A session will revolve around issues related to interviewing genocide survivors, the circumstances in which such interviews take place, the logistical as well as political issues filmmakers encounter when conducting them. Questions pertaining to copyright issues, ethical and moral concerns about the use of these testimonies and concerns for the individuals that give the testimony, as well as long-term preservation of and access to these materials would also be surfaced in the conversation. The discussion will culminate around the role these testimonies can play that may go beyond the documentary or film project for which they may have been produced.

Panel participants not only come from different creative backgrounds and played different roles in the creation of the various works, but their films and work also represent a range of different genocides such as the Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995), and the genocide in Darfur (2003-).

The participants are (alphabetical order): Anne Aghion (NYC), Ted Braun (LA), Andi Gitow (Panel Moderator) (NYC), James Moll (LA), Socheata Poeuv (New Haven).