The CVB
"We have to remind ourselves that documentaries preceded cinema, that subjectivity and film directing are a part of the act of filmmaking, and that the documentary genre serves as a constant reminder of this, setting it apart from information and the media"
our project
As an audiovisual production workshop and a continuing education association recognised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles views itself as a cultural operator whose five main areas of interest are:
- auteur and creative documentaries that explore new forms and deal mainly with social, political and artistic issues;
- working closely with associations to serve common goals;
- video workshops, which are tools that truly encourage creativity and reflection and are accessible to all;
- working to promote a catalogue that reflects a coherent editorial line and a rich production history;
- continual research and reflection on images and their power to tell the truth.
A diversity of approaches, original content, the meeting of different types, practices and views, hybridisation, combining an artistic approach with a more social one in dealing with societal challenges, paying attention to individuals who are not experts, politicians or leaders, but ordinary citizens. These are just some of the leitmotifs that guide our approach.
History
The CVB came to life in the wake of the events sparked in 1968. The project was simple: to seize a fledgling technology – the ‘lightweight’ video camera – and make it directly available to all those deprived of a voice in the then emerging world of communication. The vidéobus was born!
Over forty years later, gaining access to free and creative speech in a world that goes by the nickname of ‘global village’ and is cynically reduced to its consumerist dimension is still an everyday challenge.
The CVB’s resolve to work with people and not on people, to liberate speech which has all too often been distorted and pushed aside, and to make artists, filmmakers and young auteurs want to actively share their outlook to enable people to hear and see differently, is as relevant as ever. From video workshops and educational tools to creative documentaries, and from production and directing to screening, the Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles has built a strong identity based on time-tested practices that constantly undergo reality checks.
