SHIPWRECK

Director's Statement

An important source of information is the news. A seemingly objective form of information. It presents itsself as an objective medium, but the information presented cannot be objective. Choices are being made in the way this information is recorded and presented. It is a selective truth. This is where a process of alienation for the adience can occur.
For me as a filmmaker, it is a challenge to create a cinematic language with which I can communicate ideas in a clear way and touch the audience emotionally with cinematic tools. At the same time I want to encourage the viewer to think about his or her position in the (cinematic) viewing experience. It is also very important to experiment with the audiovisual language, to surprise an audience with storytelling that they are not used to and that may offer a new view on existing norms and values.
Honest imagery is only possible when the audience is encouraged to reflect on the medium. Not free from manipulation, on the contrary. The cinematic medium is ideally suited for manipulation and as a filmmaker I want to manipulate my audience. However, it is possible to stimulate active thinking about content and form. When such ideas about cinematic manipulation are applied to a journalistic topic such as the refugee issue, I think an audience will be encouraged to think about the information that is presented, more than it would be when looking at the news. By involving the audience on an emotional level, the distance between the subject and the audience hopefully becomes a bit smaller.