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Docu Filmmaking
ThaT GuT ThinG
How to Produce award-Winning Documentaries
Rachel Wexler has carved out a reputation for producing high-quality and award-winning feature documentaries,
in a world where they are few and far between. And yet she is nothing like you might imagine a producer to be.
By Kerry McLeod
circumstances I’d love to do, From producing for the likes and yet she returns continually
but I can really only do four or of Luke Holland and Phil in our conversation to the talent
five things at a time. There are Grabsky, she set up her own of the filmmakers that she works
only 24 hours in the day!” production company with her with. So what is that attracts
Four or five things at a time? partner, filmmaker Jez Lewis, in her to a project?
That seems an incredible work 2004 to produce Philip and his “I kind of think it’s a bit
rate even for someone with her Seven Wives with Marc Isaacs, touchy-feely with me, I must
energy. Rachel is the producer a story that garnered tabloid admit.” It’s refreshing to hear
(among many other films) of coverage and a record audience someone speak of the importance
The English Surgeon, which for a BBC4 documentary. With of relationships in the process,
recently won the coveted award an ongoing relationship with and not just the subject, although
for Best International Feature Storyville (the prestigious BBC of course that is important too.
I meet Rachel Wexler at the at Hot Docs in Canada, and strand for international feature “I think it’s a real gut thing,
Intelligent Factual Festival in Garbage Warrior, which has documentaries) and success isn’t it? And more and more I’ve
London, where she has very won awards at festivals all over following success, it would not decided that really I need to get
kindly agreed to take part in the US and as I write this is be too outlandish to suspect she to know the filmmakers very,
a panel that I am producing showing at the ICA in London. has something of a Midas touch, very well, because it’s a long
on alternative funding for haul making a film. I think it’s
documentaries. I’ve been wanting
Garbage Warrior
really important that you have
to talk to her for ages, because it a rapport. Part of it is about
seems that nearly every filmmaker really admiring the filmmaker
I admire has worked with her and really wanting to help
at some point, and it does not them, and understanding and
take a genius to work out that a sharing the vision.”
producer who has built up such I have always found the
a reputation in such a short space relationship between documentary
of time is clearly onto something. director and producer quite
She does not disappoint. interesting. On a recent trip to
On the panel, she outlines her meet members of the French
strategy for finding money from documentary association
different sources based on festival ADDOC, I found that “producer”
and theatrical windows, as well was almost a dirty word and
as broadcast, and afterwards is certainly not to be confused
inundated with people wanting with the director. Rachel sums
to speak with her. When we up her role quite nicely: “I’m
meet up, she seems almost kind of an enabler, that’s what I
apologetic that she cannot work am. I’m a buddy alongside a
with everyone she would like filmmaker, and I say to them,
to. “There’s only so many people ‘I’m your sounding board, I’m
you can work with, however somebody who can help you get
much you might like somebody your film money, I can help you
when you meet them, and get it out there and get an
however great you feel their audience.’ I love the creative
project is, I turn things down process where people use me as
all the time that in other a sounding board, and they may
72 By Filmmakers. For Filmmakers.
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