To Reveal and Protect
Ethics in Addressing Sensitive Topics
The discussion will focus on the ethical responsibility of documentary filmmakers. We will address sensitive topics such as suicide, disabilities, the involvement of children, and our own family stories as subjects for films. The panelists will discuss how to ethically navigate these complex situations, the impact of filmmaking on the subjects involved, and how to raise awareness among the audience regarding the issues presented.
Who do we recommend it for?
For anyone interested in the challenges documentary filmmakers encounter when addressing sensitive topics and working with vulnerable subjects. The discussion will be in English!
Botond Püsök graduated as a film director from Sapientia University in Cluj-Napoca, Department of Film, Photography and Media. In 2016 he won the best director award for his short documentary Angela at the Astra International Film Festival and DocuArt Film Festival, too. Botond finished his master’s degree studies in documentary film directing at the University of Theatre and Film Arts, SZFE Budapest. His first feature-length documentary, Too Close, premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2022, and throughout its festival life it already won 3 international awards. Botond’s main interest is the field of creative and observational documentary, character driven stories focusing on human rights and exploring the boundaries of humanity in challenging life situations.
Bálint Révész is the founder behind a handful of film related organizations such as Gallivant Film, Roughhouse Project, Kontra and Kulturlink. Révész’ films focus on controversial subject matter and are meticulously produced; his first feature documentary Granny Project (2017) was 7 years in the making and has since received numerous awards. Révész is the director/producer behind KIX.
Anna Rubi, born in Hungary, studied media design at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest and in 2015 graduated from the Zürich University of the Arts at transdisciplinary studies (MA). Her collaborative web-documentary New Flower (2015) explores activism infused public space art in the ever urbanizing Addis Ababa. In the period of 2017-2022 she was the videographer of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, extensively working with disabled communities and activists on short documentaries and campaigns. Your Life Without Me (2024) is her debut feature length documentary that premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival and won the Human Rights award.
Svitlana Lishchynska, born in Mariupol in 1970, worked for over 25 years for the leading television channels in Ukraine. In 2014, she opened a new chapter in her life by leaving television and immersing herself in screenwriting and filmmaking. Her first documentary works were short pieces for the Invisible Battalion (2017) anthology film in collaboration with the directors Alina Gorlova and Iryna Tsilyk. A Bit of a Stranger (2024) is her debut feature-length documentary and is based on her personal story.
