THE FILMMAKERPARTICIPANT RELATIONSHIP UNPACKED: Ethical Responsibility and Impact in Documentary Filmmaking

What's inside:
As documentary films grow in popularity, ethical concerns about their
production have also increased. Questions arise about how to balance the
potential benefits of telling powerful human stories—such as fostering
empathy and driving social change—against the risks individuals who
participate in documentaries face when sharing personal experiences or
perspectives. In light of these challenges, ITVS conducted a large-scale study
that included the voices of 678 U.S.-based documentary filmmakers and 195
participants to better understand how to improve participant experiences
while still producing impactful films.