As part of its ongoing festival, the iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival (iRep) hosted a masterclass for student filmmakers from Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) on March 29.
The session featured Kachi Benson, producer and director of iRep’s opening film “Mothers of Chibok”, alongside the film’s editor, Dorrit Andersen. Together, they shared their creative processes and experiences in documentary filmmaking.
Benson, known for his immersive approach to real-life stories, discussed how he worked around the common perception of documentaries as “boring.”
“We had over 30 hours of interviews, but in the end, I decided I wanted to make this film without interviews. There had to be a way to tell this story without relying too much on talking heads.
It brings me to the general perception of documentaries and why it seems like documentary filmmakers struggle. People often assume documentaries are boring, so for me, the challenge was: how do you make it engaging, so viewers feel like they are watching an actual movie?” he said.
Throughout the session, Benson and Andersen answered students’ questions about “Mothers of Chibok” and shared practical tips on creating impactful documentary films.
Summarizing the masterclass, they emphasized the importance of international perspectives, patience, and honesty in the storytelling process.
Speaking exclusively to The Nollywood Reporter, one of the attendees, Akorede Komolafe, reflected on his key takeaway from the session.
“The director of “Mothers of Chibok”, Kachi Benson, shared his process, and it was quite inspiring,” he said.