Genocide Documentary Filmmakers/Lovers of Life!

I had the extraordinary opportunity to speak on a panel called "Genocide Survivor Testimony in Documentary Film" with some very lauded documentary filmmakers at the USC Film School. Being asked by the Shoah Foundation to present and then of course to sit next to Emmy and Oscar winners was a huge honor.

We covered many subjects including the ethical and moral concerns of the video testimony process, the maintenance of video archives, and powerful role of documentary films in genocide activism.

After the panel all of us went to dinner together and dared each other to not talk about genocide for the entire evening. Though we strayed a few times to learn about our each others various "war stories," we mostly succeeded. Being socially conscious doesn't preclude being fun-loving too. I got home way too late that night.

You can watch a video to the panel discussion here.

From left to right: Michael Renov, USC School of Cinematic Arts Associate Dean; Anne Aghion, filmmaker; Ted Braun, filmmaker; Socheata Poeuv, filmmaker, founder Khmer Legacies; Andi Gitow, UN Films; Karen Jungblut, Institute Director of Research and Documentation; James Moll, filmmaker; Stephen Smith, Institute Executive Director.