Documentary Storytelling in a changing world: insights from the Monte-Carlo TV Festival
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival’s Business Content program this year offered an extensive discussion focused on the ever-evolving landscape of non-fiction with its “Documentary Storytelling” panel. Moderated by Kristin Stasiowski, Independent Producer and Associate Dean at Kent State University, the panel brought together three leading figures in documentary film: Tonje Hessen Schei (Director, DOX Division), Tom Jennings (CEO, 1895 Films), and Sue Turley (SVP, XRM Media). The candid session delved into the topics of creativity, financing, censorship, the AI revolution, and the fierce conviction it takes to tell a story that matters.
The discussion opened with the ever-pressing issue of financing documentary projects in an unpredictable market. Sue Turley shared her experiences raising independent funds, emphasizing the difficulty of securing backing in today’s climate: "Most of the work that I do is raising independent money, which is equity financing and soft money or a combination… It's been incredibly difficult. I'll give you a perfect example: XRM Media was started by a billionaire who was very interested in the film industry, and we started in the business six months before COVID. And then all of a sudden, we buy a studio during COVID, and then all hell broke loose—we had strikes, we had fires, we had consolidations."
Despite the hurdles, Turley highlighted the importance of persistence and finding financiers who believe in the art form: "I've been able to fine-tune a group of individuals that I go to on a regular basis… I know exactly what they're looking for, so I'm not wasting their time."
Tom Jennings, whose company operates on a commission-based model, acknowledged the necessity of balancing passion with market demands: "People will ask me, 'What kind of films do you make?' And I say, 'Whatever they're buying.'… A good story is a good story. You have to start there." He also noted the value of diversifying content, citing a recent project producing educational documentaries on Western civilization.
The Struggle for Political Documentaries in a Polarized Landscape
Tonje Hessen Schei, known for politically charged films like Drone and iHuman, spoke about the challenges of distributing documentaries in the U.S., particularly under the current political climate: "The message we get back is that we can't touch anything political right now because things are too polarized. They are terrified of upsetting certain audience groups."
Her latest film, Praying for Armageddon, explores the influence of fundamentalist evangelicals in U.S. politics—a subject that has faced resistance from American distributors. "This film has had massive distribution all over the world, except from the U.S.," she said.
Sue Turley, who has worked with Schei on multiple projects, echoed the frustration: "There is a little bit of a good old boys club now with the three or four streamers that are buying. And if they don't know you and they're not familiar with your work, it's really, really hard to penetrate that."
The Power of Archival Footage
Tom Jennings shared his journey in pioneering an archive-only storytelling format, which faced initial skepticism but ultimately revolutionized documentary filmmaking: "I had to cut about 12 minutes of the film to let it play… I stalked one of the Nat Geo executives and said, 'Just watch this.' And he fortunately had a DVD player, and he played it, and he's watching this. He says, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God.'"
His persistence paid off, leading to 42 archive-only films, proving that unconventional methods can succeed with the right vision.
AI in Documentary Filmmaking
The conversation turned to AI, with panelists weighing in on its potential and ethical pitfalls. Tonje Hessen Schei, a self-proclaimed "tech nerd," acknowledged its transformative impact: "It has changed the way I work drastically… I get an idea, and oh my Lord. We can use this to make things more efficient around the creative process so that we can have more time in the creative process."
However, she warned of the dangers: "We have to work on developing a new way of critical thinking that we don't have yet… The choices that we make now are going to change our industry forever."
Tom Jennings shared a troubling example of AI voice cloning in historical documentaries: "We could have Malcolm X reading his own autobiography… But would it be ethical? Some people have already messed with this in the wrong ways."
Sue Turley, admitting her "old-school" approach, expressed fear over AI’s rapid evolution: "I don't even think it's five years. I think it's three… The speed of light—it's just crazy what's going on."
The Future of Documentary Storytelling
The panel concluded with reflections on the industry’s direction. Tonje Hessen Schei remained optimistic despite challenges: "I do believe in the power of humanity. People are starting to stand up. There are things that are shifting."
Sue Turley critiqued the dominance of true crime: "A comment was made to me recently: 'I guess I just have to make a documentary about a husband killing a wife to get on Netflix.'"
Tom Jennings confirmed the trend: "If I'm pitching a network executive, the first thing that'll come up is, 'Do you have anything in the true crime genre right now?'"
The underscored the resilience of documentary filmmakers—navigating financing hurdles, political resistance, and technological disruption—while reaffirming the power of storytelling to provoke thought, inspire change, and hold a mirror to society.
As Kristin Stasiowski summarized: "If we want things to stay the same, we're going to have to make some changes."
Despite the hurdles, Turley highlighted the importance of persistence and finding financiers who believe in the art form: "I've been able to fine-tune a group of individuals that I go to on a regular basis… I know exactly what they're looking for, so I'm not wasting their time."
Tom Jennings, whose company operates on a commission-based model, acknowledged the necessity of balancing passion with market demands: "People will ask me, 'What kind of films do you make?' And I say, 'Whatever they're buying.'… A good story is a good story. You have to start there." He also noted the value of diversifying content, citing a recent project producing educational documentaries on Western civilization.
The Struggle for Political Documentaries in a Polarized Landscape
Tonje Hessen Schei, known for politically charged films like Drone and iHuman, spoke about the challenges of distributing documentaries in the U.S., particularly under the current political climate: "The message we get back is that we can't touch anything political right now because things are too polarized. They are terrified of upsetting certain audience groups."
Her latest film, Praying for Armageddon, explores the influence of fundamentalist evangelicals in U.S. politics—a subject that has faced resistance from American distributors. "This film has had massive distribution all over the world, except from the U.S.," she said.
Sue Turley, who has worked with Schei on multiple projects, echoed the frustration: "There is a little bit of a good old boys club now with the three or four streamers that are buying. And if they don't know you and they're not familiar with your work, it's really, really hard to penetrate that."
The Power of Archival Footage
Tom Jennings shared his journey in pioneering an archive-only storytelling format, which faced initial skepticism but ultimately revolutionized documentary filmmaking: "I had to cut about 12 minutes of the film to let it play… I stalked one of the Nat Geo executives and said, 'Just watch this.' And he fortunately had a DVD player, and he played it, and he's watching this. He says, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God.'"
His persistence paid off, leading to 42 archive-only films, proving that unconventional methods can succeed with the right vision.
AI in Documentary Filmmaking
The conversation turned to AI, with panelists weighing in on its potential and ethical pitfalls. Tonje Hessen Schei, a self-proclaimed "tech nerd," acknowledged its transformative impact: "It has changed the way I work drastically… I get an idea, and oh my Lord. We can use this to make things more efficient around the creative process so that we can have more time in the creative process."
However, she warned of the dangers: "We have to work on developing a new way of critical thinking that we don't have yet… The choices that we make now are going to change our industry forever."
Tom Jennings shared a troubling example of AI voice cloning in historical documentaries: "We could have Malcolm X reading his own autobiography… But would it be ethical? Some people have already messed with this in the wrong ways."
Sue Turley, admitting her "old-school" approach, expressed fear over AI’s rapid evolution: "I don't even think it's five years. I think it's three… The speed of light—it's just crazy what's going on."
The Future of Documentary Storytelling
The panel concluded with reflections on the industry’s direction. Tonje Hessen Schei remained optimistic despite challenges: "I do believe in the power of humanity. People are starting to stand up. There are things that are shifting."
Sue Turley critiqued the dominance of true crime: "A comment was made to me recently: 'I guess I just have to make a documentary about a husband killing a wife to get on Netflix.'"
Tom Jennings confirmed the trend: "If I'm pitching a network executive, the first thing that'll come up is, 'Do you have anything in the true crime genre right now?'"
The underscored the resilience of documentary filmmakers—navigating financing hurdles, political resistance, and technological disruption—while reaffirming the power of storytelling to provoke thought, inspire change, and hold a mirror to society.
As Kristin Stasiowski summarized: "If we want things to stay the same, we're going to have to make some changes."
