Making one film is a challenge. Doing six at once is something that could easily drive even hardened and experienced producers to the verge of breakdown. Nonetheless, showrunners Vincent Coen and Guillaume Vandenberghe, together with producer Hanne Phlypo of Belgian outfit Clin d’oeil films, are in the final stages of completing Draw For Change, their epic documentary series which they first announced three years ago.
The idea behind the project is straightforward enough. Each doc is about a female cartoonist in a different part of the world. The films have insights about their protagonists’ work as well as strong observations to make about their fight for gender equality. They include animation and verité-style footage.
Five of the six films are now shot. “They range from fully completed to virtually completed to still in a rough cut editing stage,” Coen says of the state of the various episodes.
Filmmakers involved include Nada Riyadh, Sama Pana, Alaa Amer, and Karen Vázquez Guadarrama. The docs have been made in Syria, Russia, Mexico, India and Egypt. The final one, to be directed by Laura Nix in the US, will go into production shortly. Material from Draw For Change has been presented online this month as a work-in-progress during the CONNEXT showcase of new Flemish and Brussels-based projects.
“All these countries, during shooting, experienced some kind of relapse in freedom of expression,” Coen notes of the socio-political turmoil behind the documentaries.
“It’s actually quite an amazing adventure because this collection really started off as a TV series,” says Phlypo. “Then, we found a way to develop six films. I am a very bad producer probably because instead of making a simple TV series, I think we brought something to a whole another level…when I see the five films next to each other, I am super-proud of what we have achieved.”
One episode was directed by a Russian filmmaker (whose name the producers prefer to keep out of the press). The Russian filmmaking team were evacuated once the war with Ukraine began. The director, who was pregnant, moved to Brussels. “That was a very tough one. The project influences the personal lives of these people. If she hadn’t worked on this project, she would probably have still been in Russia.”
Some of the subject matter may be dark but there is always humour in the stories too. “The humour is the necessary spice…it is crucial to make it [the series] unenjoyable watch,” says Coen.
“What I think is great is that you can actually say something in the animation or with the drawings that you can never say in reality. That, I would say, is the whole richness of this concept,” adds Phlypo. “We take a portrait of a person and take it to another level using the meta-language of the animation which is the point of view of the cartoonist on her story.”
The producer adds that the filmmakers had a freedom to work “without using pre-fab industry recipes.”
Covid may have “shattered” plans for the filmmakers all to edit their documentaries together and at the same period. This, though, allowed the producers to devote extra attention to each segment.” Editing six films at the same time wouldn’t have been possible for us,” Phlypo acknowledges.
“The problems have been multiple and very diverse in tone and subject,” Coen says of some of the bumps there have been along the road. Nonetheless, the showrunners and the producer are still very upbeat about what they have achieved together.
“We learned to understand our own concept while making it [the series] and this always gave us some kind of advance,” Coen reflects.
Sales on Draw For Change are handled by Vienna-based Autlook. There are many high-profile financiers and producers aboard, among them the CNC and the VAF. “I think that has something to do with diversity and inclusion. There is a problem in our industry with inclusion and female talent [being represented] in front of and behind the camera. I think this project taps perfectly into that,” says Phlypo.
The filmmakers are still looking for some extra financing to complete the project but the documentaries are close to completion.
“As things are going, we expect to have them finished and ready by the date we promised, which is spring 2023,” Coen points to the deadline he and the team are working toward. “Of course, the American film is still a little sprint but it should still be very much do-able.”
Plans for the launch are now being finalised. Phlypo reveals that the films may be shown individually as well as collectively. “Of course, we have always been fans of a 360-degree [approach] and of seeing this collection as more than just a series,” she says. “We are also working on setting up an exhibition, writing a book and setting up a big impact campaign.”
The release strategy is flexible but there is an idea is to show the films in schools as well as in cinemas and on TV.
Showrunners Coen and Vandenberghe have a long history together. They first collaborated as musicians…in a Flemish parody punk band. Coen was the singer/songwriter. Vandenberghe played the bass.
“Coming from the same town and socio-economic background, you connect easier,” Coen explains why he and Vandenberghe struck up such a close rapport. “We made the step from making music to making another collaborative art [with film].”
Will the trio collaborate on another project on a similar scale? Phlypo and the showrunners pause at the question but don’t discount the possibility.
“From the production side, we saw how difficult this was,” Coen sighs. “But we realised how well Hanne did her job and how much she fought for it [the series]. Creatively, this is definitely something to re-do…a really enriching experience. As a filmmaker, to make six films you need 18 years. We did them in three years. We really made them. For us as filmmakers, it was an amazing experience!”
