The Camera as Presence

Name: The Camera as Presence
Start: 2026-05-30T12:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-30T15:00:00+02:00
Location: Festival Centre: Atrium Tower

30 May, 2026, 12.30 PM @ Festival Centre: Atrium Tower

Event language: English

Working with the camera in documentary filmmaking is always a question of perspective and responsibility.

It is more than a tool of observation – it enters into a relationship. Especially in crisis zones, politically charged environments, or in close encounters with people in extreme situations, the role of the camera shifts: from a recording device to an active presence – almost human, shaping connection, creating intimacy, while constantly negotiating distance. This seminar explores the complex dynamics between camera, protagonists, and reality. At its core lies the question: how can the camera create closeness without overstepping, and maintain distance without alienating? Drawing on selected works by Thomas Eirich-Schneider (including The Congo Tribunal, The New Gospel, On the Border, My Brothers and Sisters in the North), the seminar examines different strategies of engagement – from working in politically sensitive contexts to encounters with “the other,” and filming under conditions of uncertainty, power imbalance, and cultural difference.

Tickets

Program Info

The Camera as Presence

Guest

Thomas Eirich-Schneider

Thomas Eirich-Schneider works as a Director of Photography for TV and cinema productions, with a focus on international documentary films, collaborating with directors such as Sung-Hyung Cho, Pepe Danquart, Milo Rau, and Arne Birkenstock. For him, cinematography goes beyond technique—it is about exploring the unknown and creating powerful, personal visual worlds. He works across genres worldwide, focusing on films that challenge, move, and provoke thought.