You wouldn’t think a debate entitled “Human Rights – the Lens as an Oracle” would turn into a slinging match against South African public broadcaster SABC but such was the case on Saturday, 21 June at Johannesburg’s Hyde Park Nu Metro, during a special session at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.

Once the four panellists, Wits Professor Tawana Kupe, filmmaker Rina Jooste (Betrayal), producer Neil Brandt (Courting Justice, Affectionately Known as Alex) and the SABC’s Sipho Sithole had talked about how it was the filmmaker’s role to give voice to the voiceless, especially in the light of the recent horrific xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the debate was opened to the floor and anti-SABC sentiment was expressed by some in the audience.

Criticisms voiced pertained to questionable commissioning procedures at the SABC which had resulted in delays of contracts being signed with producers and delays in payment for programmes either in production or completed. Another comment was that the SABC did not respect the filmmaker’s right to freedom of expression, while yet another said the broadcaster showed a particular bias against works that speak to the truth.

In between these statements much was said about the need to foster films on human rights. Discussion revolved around the key issue of the perspective of the filmmaker and the perspective of the people he / she is filming. Also discussed was whether the camera can reflect future realities.

The debate became heated at one point, with moderator Kai Crooks-Chissano (social scientist and member of the advisory board of the Pan African Filmmakers) forced to remove the microphone from one outspoken member of the audience. This was the annual SABC Encounters Debate. See full story in the June issue of Screen Africa.