Summary of Storytelling Edit Lab

Four Close Up film teams spent last week in Berlin participating in our very first Storytelling Edit Lab. It was an amazing experience for us all and very meaningful to be back in-person together after almost two years.

We are sharing here some thoughts and conclusions several of the filmmakers had after the lab. We are so grateful to be able to assist them in getting their films to completion and out into the world.

“The lab pushed me to think about my project in ways I wasn’t or may have felt too anxious to do. It made us wonder about our storytelling voice and how to make sure it comes across in the film the best way possible.”
— Jude Chehab (Director – Q, Lebanon)

“Regardless of the filmmakers’ level of experience, Close Up offers relevant feedback, with constant attention to each filmmaker’s specific needs. The atmosphere is both relaxed and rigorous, allowing filmmakers to interact within a safe, welcoming space.”
— Leyla Rouhi (Director – Letters from Ms. Iran, Iran)

“The editing lab allowed us to take a week away from our reality of oppression and focus on our film. We were accompanied by experienced editors and filmmakers, and our discussions with them helped us to understand how we want to tell the story of our film, and how to find our own voice. It was a truly remarkable experience.”
— Basel Adraa, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Balal (Directors – No Other Land, Palestine/Israel)

“I think this type of lab is something profoundly significant in light of the challenges facing storytellers from the diasporas of the Middle East and North Africa. It gave an opportunity for filmmakers to connect, share, and grow our projects under the guiding light of mentors who genuinely care about the filmmakers and the stories we want to tell.”
— Fahd Ahmed (Editor – Q, Lebanon)