Keisari ilman vaatteita I
Paul Pawels piti Leibzigin yhteistuotantotapahtuman osanottajille puheenvuoron, joka julkaistaan kestonsa takia useassa osassa tällä palstalla. Pituuden takia puheenvuoroa on myös editoitu. Puhe on suunnattu ammattilaisille, mutta kertoo paljon kenelle tahansa mediamaailman muutoksesta.
When I was preparing this presentation and trying to decide what I should talk about without driving you all into despair, the analogy with fairytales came to my mind.
Are you familiar with the fairytale about “the emperor without clothes”?
I wonder whether the documentary production community is not living the same kind of lie today? I wonder: should I stand up and shout?
On the other hand, I don’t want to end up as the boy in the “cry wolf” fairytale; the fellow who often spreads panic when there’s no real reason and to whom no one listens anymore when real danger emerges.
So I have to be careful now. How to find the right balance in what I say?... And I don’t want to end up standing on my own when soon my most pessimistic predictions come true and I will need allies to fight the evil.
Well, dear friends, I do shout to all of who you are part of the production game and still feel comfortably covered by the traditional financing systems… open your eyes, before you’ll know it you’ll be standing naked!
To the producers who pretend that the relations with broadcasters have not become a lot tougher over the past years, that budgets did not go down, that the number of slots for creative documentary has not diminished … I say: open your eyes, you’re naked!
To the writers and directors who live in the happy conviction that having a good idea is enough to get money on the table, money handed out by commissioning editors who are longing to work with you, I say: look in the mirror, you’re naked.
To my former colleagues commissioning editors who still do the tour of Europe telling people that nothing has changed, that the old system still functions well, that a world of opportunities is waiting outside the pitching theatre, that they are still in charge, I say… stop fooling the emperor.
This is not really nice to hear, is it now? Actually, i’m really happy that i’m not into production anymore. And quite frankly, I do not have enough energy left in this weakening body to fight tommorow’s challenges.
But this does not mean that you can’t or that you shouldn’t.
I refuse to believe that documentary is dead, like some dare to say. I will fight anyone who claims that independent creative documentary is a thing of the past and has no place anymore on the screens of the future.
