“Inter-Rives II: Glances of children”: the new COPEAM – ASBU co-production project

Tunis, July 21st – 24th, 2009

The first workshop organized in the framework of the 2nd COPEAM-ASBU co-production «Inter-Rives II: Glances of children» ended on July 24th 2009, in Tunis.

The coordination team and the representatives of the partner televisions worked very actively during 4 days on the preparation of a production and shooting charter for the series of intense and dynamic teamwork.
The subjects proposed for the documentaries were discussed by the team and a final list was drawn up. At the end of the workshop, a production schedule was established and the directors wrote the synopsis of their documentaries. Another workshop is scheduled before the conclusion of the co-production.

The interview of Mr. Sampiero Sanguinetti - executive producer of the series - provides more information on the workshop and on the development of the co-production.

How do you evaluate the Tunis workshop?

To evaluate a work, you always have to keep in mind the objectives that had been set.
The first aim of Inter-Rives' workshops isto make easier the implementation of the documentaries production planned in the framework of the series. The second aim is to try to make the documentaries look like a series and not only like a collection. The third aim is to encourage a real collaboration and a real exchange of competences between the participants that come from very different countries and televisions.
The Tunis workshop allowed to define together a precise production framework for the Inter-Rives II series and to agree on the objectives that we want to achieve. The teamwork has led to a real exchange between the participants, to extremely rich debates, to a better mutual knowledge and - according to me – also to the creation of a team that wants to continue the experience and to deepen this work of mutual understanding.

What is the importance of the shooting, production and technical recommendations charter, which is a result of this workshop, for the success of Inter-Rives II?

The recommendations that have been outlined thanks to this workshop, through the conception of a shooting and production charter, are of course fundamental. They must be the mutual axis of work, in order to make all the produced documentaries look like a series and not only as a collection of disparate movies. I am convinced that all the workshop participants will respect these recommendations as far as possible. I am tellingso with the consciousness of the difficulties ofthe documentarist’s work, that always conceals some surprises and permanently requires the capacity to adapt the original idea to the discoveries or circumstances which may occur during the shooting. I do believe that this charter is realistic enough to allow each one to remain in the right framework, despite the shooting contingencies.

When is the second production workshop scheduled? What will be its utility for the good progress of the production?

Indeed, a second workshop looked absolutely necessary to us. During the first workshop we planned the shootings to take place between August and November. That is why we decided to schedule the second workshop during the documentaries’ editing or post-production phases, after the shootings, which means on December or on early January. This should allow us,in suchan important stage of the production, to compare the state of our works, to list the difficulties that arose or will arise, to talk eventually about the alternatives of production and of editing on the basis of the choices made after the shooting. It should allow us to agree on the potential or necessary adaptations according to thecircumstances and hazards of the different shootings. This second workshop looks extremely important to me before movingtowards the finishing phase.