The Film Director and the Protagonist

During this workshop, multi-award-winning film director Eliza Kubarska shares her experiences with students, drawing directly from her time on extreme film sets. She will base her story on her work on the last three films she directed: ‘K2: Touching the Sky’ – Grand Prix of VIMFF 2016, ‘The Wall of Shadows’ – Best Adventure Film at VIMFF 2021 and ‘The Last Expedition’ (VIMFF, Vancouver premiere at 2025).

• How can I build a relationship with the protagonist based on trust and cooperation?
• Do I have any personal connection with the main character outside of the film? How might this affect the development of the story?
• What if the protagonist is a public figure in a documentary film?
• How do I handle a negative protagonist in a documentary?
• What responsibility do I have for the protagonist, and what are the consequences of their participation in the film?
• When should a protagonist be replaced for the greater good of the film?
• How much should the protagonist know about the film before it is finished?
• What is the director-protagonist relationship when the protagonist is from the past and is represented through archival footage?
• What responsibility does the director have for the protagonist’s family and friends?

Also: “This is only a documentary” – How to avoid falling into the trap of your own project, and how can I maintain a balance?