Paper short abstract:

This paper reflects on the facilitation of a participatory filmmaking process done remotely and as part of a collaborative research investigating the impact of COVID-19 on women’s everyday lives. It focuses on the challenges and opportunities for collaboration when shifting training and editing activities to an online space.

Paper long abstract:

Participatory video (PV) practice seeks to include participants in all phases of the filmmaking process to collaboratively create films, knowledge and transformation. Usually conducted face-to-face, in one geographical place together, the process includes collaborative teaching, learning, as well as decision making during filming and editing activities. This paper will reflect on the challenges and opportunities when facilitating a participatory filmmaking process entirely online.

During 2020 I have been involved as facilitator of a participatory documentary film production in a research project led by Dr Sonja Marzi and funded by the LSE Knowledge Exchange and Impact fund. Initially planned as a face-to-face PV project with women in Medellin, due to COVID-19 pandemic, we had to shift to an online space, including all film training and editing activities, while at the same time sustain a collaborative research design.

Women in this study had either limited or no experience of web-based platforms and tools, only limited access to technology and no prior filming experience, yet they became ‘directors’ of their own film. Filming was done by participants using their own smartphones, while training, film planning and editing activities took place during online workshops. I focus on the impact of an online work environment on the activities of training women in filming using their smartphones and collaborative editing of the final film. I argue that, especially compared to face-to-face PV projects, this innovative online approach provides new avenues of collaboration but also poses new challenges when facilitating the co-creation of a documentary film.