Manifesto

1.youth documentary has an image problem: it is the most underrated genre. documentary makers don’t take it seriously

2. youth documentary is mainly practiced by starting filmmakers – and that’s a problem

3. nobody really knows what makes a youth documentary

4. it is a misunderstanding to think that a youth documentary should be a story about a kid

5. kids are interested in fascinating stories – whether it’s about a child, an adult, an animal, a phenomenon, a mystery or a fantasy

6. almost every topic is suitable for a youth documentary. it’s all about how you tell the story

7. most youth documentaries are childish

8. if we want to lift youth documentary to a next level, it is of crucial importance not to consider youth documentary as a steppingstone to documentaries for adults, but as a full-fledged genre in itself

9. if we want to lift youth documentary to a next level, we’ll have to start taking the genre seriously. that means for example: not only 15-minute docs but every possible length

10. if we want to lift youth documentary to a next level, more experimenting is needed: in length, in storytelling, in form, in style, in the choice of topics, in the choice of characters.

Martijn Blekendaal - November 2021

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