This seminar focuses on contemporary cultural influences. David argues that cinema is, in itself, important – that a level of social responsibility has always attached itself to any filmmaker driven by a desire to contribute to a more socially aware society.

What are the most fundamental choices that confront a filmmaker, and which of those choices are most likely to enable a film to become a success. What is the filmmaker’s relationship with ‘truth’?
The seminar considers the fine line that’s emerged in a ‘post-truth’ era between ‘facts’ and their interpretation:
Can a film ever be truly objective?
How can a real-life event be converted into an ‘entertainment’ property?
What responsibility do filmmakers have to the communities they are potentially exploiting?

This session looks at the increasing demand for ‘fact-based’ stories and documentaries; and considers the questions this trend has raised about authenticity, reality and motive in filmmaking.