College of Arts Organizes “Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Innovation” Seminar

The seminar “Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Innovation” held on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 reviewed the foundations of documentary filmmaking and ways to innovate and promote it, with the participation of professionals and experts in the field of television and cinema.

The seminar aimed to help students understand the foundations of creative documentary filmmaking, by reviewing the opinions and experiences of experts in this field who were keen to link documentary cinema with culture.

The seminar was organized by the College of Arts at the Media Center. The participants included Bassam Al-Thawadi, film director and producer, Eva Dawood, academic and documentary film director, Dr. Mohammed Othman Al-Sayed, academic at the American University of Bahrain, and Dr. Abdulnasser Fattah Allah, Assistant Professor of Radio and Television at the University of Bahrain, while the seminar was moderated by Maryam Anwar, Research and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts.

Director Bassam Al Thawadi spoke on the importance of documentary films as one of the creative elements in the world, stressing that the importance of this industry is represented in the memory, culture, science and truth it constitutes in the media scene.

Dr. Eva Daoud stressed the importance of creative way of thinking in documentary filmmaking and the basics of producing a documentary film that reaches the world and participates in international festivals, and underlining  the importance of thinking outside the box to provide content for a documentary film that attracts and interacts with the audience.

Dr. Abdulnasser Fattah Allah spoke on the importance of informing students and beginners in the field of documentary filmmaking about the different experiences, and to look at this industry through the eyes of those working in it as one of the most prominent creative genres in the field of media. He stressed that professionals are able to add many things to media students and those interested in documentary filmmaking.

Dr. Mohamed El-Sayed expressed his gladness to participate in the seminar, calling on students to think about making documentary films capable of competing in the market, which will be a basis for them to start film production based on scientific and methodological foundations.