Rtbf Doc Shot

Editorial tone

Author-driven, committed, cinematic. Doc Shot is RTBF's documentary film strand for ambitious documentaries. The slot offers space for auteur films with a strong personal signature. Tone is serious and reflective, but never academic. Films tell stories of people and society — close, empathetic, with a point of view. Belgian subjects and international stories with Belgian relevance are equally welcome.

What this format covers

• ●Social issues from a human perspective
• ●Belgian stories with universal resonance
• ●International conflicts and human rights
• ●Culture, identity and migration
• ●Historical reckoning — Belgian and European history
• ●Social struggles and resistance
• ●Auteur films with strong visual signature

What this format does NOT want

• ●Pure entertainment or lifestyle
• ●TV reportage without cinematic ambition
• ●Subjects with zero relevance for Belgian audiences
• ●Propagandistic portrayals
• ●Pure nature or science films
• ●Short formats under 45 minutes

Visual expectations

Cinematic quality expected. Doc Shot positions itself between TV documentary and theatrical documentary. Careful camerawork, considered image composition, atmospheric lighting design. Visual approach should reflect the filmmaker's personal signature. Archive material used creatively. Animation sequences possible.

Expected exposé structure

1. Title and logline
2. Synopsis (dramaturgically structured)
3. Director's statement and personal access
4. On-camera protagonists and shooting locations
5. Visual concept
6. Director bio and filmography
7. Production company and financing status

Example productions

• Doc Shot: Congo Lucha (Marlene Rabaud, 2020)
• Doc Shot: Lola vers la mer (Laurent Micheli, 2019)
• Doc Shot: Les enfants du hasard (Thierry Michel, 2017)