In documentary films, sound plays a key role in gluing together different types of archive material. Voice-overs or music are often the starting point from which the story originates, and shape the subsequent editing. In The Propagandist, Luuk Bouwman uncovers the fascinating oral history of his long-departed protagonist Jan Teunissen, the ‘Dutch Leni Riefenstahl’, derived from interviews with a journalist. In My Stolen Planet, through her voice-over, Farahnaz Sharifi weaves her experience with that of other Iranians using her own home videos and anonymous found footage. In Paradise, Ana Rieper creates a bold musical narrative in which rhythm guides the archive sounds and images that tell the story of colonialism, slavery and oppression in Brazil. And in Chronicles of the Absurd, Cuban director Miguel Coyula pairs candid audio recordings with dynamic transcripts and cut-out images in an account of his attempt to make a fiction film while facing repression from all sides.

Hosted by Sound & Vision

Speakers: Luuk Bouwman, Miguel Coyula, Ana Rieper, Farahnaz Sharifi

Moderator: Jeroen Stout