PhotoDOC: The video to reach to the story, by Jose Muniain

In this interview, José Muniain tells us more about PhotoDOC, a collaborative project he devised to bring together a photographer and a filmmaker through video. It's a short format that offers a new perspective on a particular photographic series.

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Zoé Isle de Beauchaine: What is photoDOC?

Jose Muniain: A photoDOC is collaborative project between a photographer and a filmmaker, with the objective of using the medium of video to offer another dimension and reach to the story of an existing documentary photography project. 
The documentary style I am proposing – PhotoDOC– has the purpose to amplify and give more scope to the story of a photo essay and provide the documentary photographers the opportunity to own their narrative and explore ways to create broader connections with viewers. 

ZB: How does the collaboration between filmmaker and photographer comes about? 

JM: As a producer, I decided to focus on documentary photographers because I believe that they are one of the drivers of social change.
When I look for stories/photographers, usually the leads come from curators or photographers as the photoDOC series continues.

ZB:  Is there a desire to get the photographer to talk about the subject, the story his photographs tell, and also his own approach as a photographer?

JM: One of the unique features of the photoDOC format is the shooting technique. Once the selection and preproduction processes have taken place, we move on to production. During the shoot I capture the reactions of the photographers to their own work and the unique stories that contextualize the pictures. We use the teleprompter technique. These genuine reactions are the basis of the photoDOC. Although the focus is always on the story, not the photographers themselves, the photographers’ approach reveals itself in the process.

ZB: What kind of photography do you focus on?

JM: As a storyteller, I tend to focus on the stories. Documentary photography is an amazing source of relevant stories and exceptional quality photography. 

ZB: Why this short format?

JM: When I started this project, I was not sure what would be the right length for a photoDOC. It has become clear to me that a short format works best. It could be a series of short films like I did with Nicoló Fillipo Rosso. It also works well for news outlets on-line channels, galleries and exhibits were audiences can get further into the story and and have the photographer always virtually present on the space. 

Interview conducted in June 2024
The photos are taken from the series of films Exodus
directed in 2022 by Jose Muniain