Does the reality of documentary film need music or sound design as an additional instrument to affect the audience? Is it ethical to use sounds which do not exist in reality in a project that is recorded and presented as a document? Is music manipulative, or is it a necessary narrative element of films? It feels like these topics have been debated by documentary filmmakers since sound was first introduced in cinema.

However, this roundtable about the analysis of soundtracks for non-fiction films will not just be about the ethical aspects, but also about some completely practical advice. For example, professionals in this field of filmmaking will talk about how to make music for documentaries, how to use existing tracks and integrate them in the film’s audio without breaking any copyright laws, and about the special requirements of sound recording while working on documentaries in particular.

Participants:

Anton Dehtiariov, composer, musician, member of the Ptakh Jung duo and author of music for films.

Ivan Kozlenko, cultural researcher, art manager, founder of the Mute Nights Festival of Silent Film and Contemporary Music (Odesa), the only festival of archive films in Ukraine.

Vladyslav Mitsovskyi, producer, music manager.

Serhiy Stepanskyi, sound editor, actor, member of the European Film Academy.

Moderator: Maryna Stepanska, director.