Southeast Asia is rich in its diversity of ethnic, religious and cultural composition. The region has maintained the coexistence of such diversity while at the same time achieving economic progress and becoming a hub for the flow of people, goods, money and information. Yet at present, the region is also confronted with serious issues such as the decrease of biodiversity and tropical forests, disasters, pandemics, aging population, ethnic and religious conflicts, economic differentiation and poverty.

The Visual Documentary Project was set up in 2012 by Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University to make use of visual forms of expression and documentaries to complement academic literature on Southeast Asian societies, promote the richness of cultures in the region and build bridges between academia and documentary filmmakers. Since 2012, it has featured documentaries from and by Southeast Asian filmmakers on contemporary issues in the region, such as urban life, politics and everyday life, human flows, people and nature, and care and aging and urban life. Since 2014, the Japan Foundation Asian Center has been a partner in organizing this event.

This project in FY2017 ,  FY2018 and FY2019 is certified as beyond 2020 program.

The selected documentaries from 2012 to 2018 can be viewed online at the following URL.
https://vdp.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/archives/

2019

For this year's VDP, we called for short documentaries made in Southeast Asia and Japan under the theme of "JUSTICE". This year, award-winning film director Ho Yuhang from Malaysia, and a doctor, screenwriter, and a director, Aung Ming from Myanmar have joined as jury members for the selection, and five successful works were selected carefully by the committee.
From 161 spectacular documentaries from across Southeast Asia, five were selected to be screened in Kyoto and Tokyo. The directors and crews of these works were invited to Japan for this occasion to join us for the talk discussion with the commentators. In addition, as a new attempt for this year, director Rithy Panh’s Special Mention was selected and announced at the screening.

Theme JUSTICE

Application submission period June 1 – August 31, 2019

Numbers of Submission 161

Screening Committee Members

• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, "Asian Future" section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• Ho Yuhang
  Director
• Aung Ming
  Doctor, Screenwriter, Director
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• YAMAMOTO Hiroyuki
  Associate Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Special Award Committee Member
Rithy Panh
Filmmaker, Co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center

Selected　Works
(1) Through Song, We Share Stories (Indonesia)
(2) An Unquiet Land (Vietnam)
(3) SCREAMING GOATS (Thailand)
(4) That Night (The Phillippines)
(5) Unsilent Potato (Myanmar)

Director Rithy Panh's Special Mention
Unsilent Potato (Myanmar)

Event Details
VISUAL DOCUMENTARY PROJECT 2019

Official Website
https://vdp.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/

2018

In 2018, we called for short documentary films under the theme of "Popular Culture in Southeast Asia". For the fourth consecutive year from 2015, Cambodian director Rithy Panh participated as a screening committee member, and five successful works were selected carefully by the committee. The films were screened in Kyoto and Tokyo. Directors and their crew members were invited to Japan in accordance with the screening, and they conducted discussions with the commentators.

Theme Popular Culture in Southeast Asia

Application submission period June 1 – August 31, 2018

Numbers of Submission 117

Screening Committee Members

• Rithy Panh
  Filmmaker, Co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, "Asian Future" section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• YAMAMOTO Hiroyuki
  Associate Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Selected　Works
(1) Cambodian Theater (Cambodia)
(2) RITO RITO (Vietnam)
(3) The Fighter (Indonesia)
(4) Cosplayer (Thailand)
(5) RAPTHAI (Thailand)

Event Details
VISUAL DOCUMENTARY PROJECT 2018

Official Website
https://vdp.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/

2017

In 2017, we called for short documentary films under the theme of "Urban Life in Southeast Asia". For the third consecutive year from 2015, Cambodian director Rithy Panh participated as a screening committee member, and five successful works were selected carefully by the committee. The films were screened in Kyoto and Tokyo. Directors and their crew members were invited to Japan in accordance with the screening, and they conducted discussions with the commentators.

Theme Urban Life in Southeast Asia

Application submission period June 1 – September 1, 2017

Numbers of Submission 103

Screening Committee Members

• Rithy Panh
  Filmmaker, Co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, “Asian Future” section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• SHIMIZU Hiromu
  Emeritus Professor, Kyoto University
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• YAMAMOTO Hiroyuki
  Associate Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Selected　Works
（1）White Egret（Malaysia）
（2）Nostalgia Senja（Reminiscences of the Dusk）（Indonesia）
（3）Don't Know Much About ABC（Cambodia）
（4）Yangon, the City Where We Live（Myanmar）
（5）Timbre（Tip-off）（Philippine）

Event Details
VISUAL DOCUMENTARY PROJECT 2017

Official Website
https://vdp.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/

2016

Theme Politics in Everyday Life in Southeast Asia

Application submission period June 1 – September 1, 2016

Numbers of Submission 75

Screening Committee Members

• Rithy Panh
  Filmmaker, Co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, "Asian Future" section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• SHIMIZU Hiromu
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Selected　Works
（1）Women of the Forest（Malaysia）
（2）Mother & Son（Myanmar）
（3）60 Days（Myanmar）
（4）Vein（Myanmar）

Director Nutcha Tantivitayapitak's film "Mr. Zero"(Thailand) was selected for this year's Visual Documentary Project. However, due to unexpected circumstances, the screening of this film and talk discussion were cancelled.

Event Details
https://staging.jfac.jp/en/culture/events/visual-documentary-project-16121517/

Official Website
http://www-archive.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sea-sh/en/vdp2016/

2015

Theme Human Flows –Movement in Southeast Asia-

Application submission period July 1 – December 20, 2015

Numbers of Submission 47

Screening Committee Members

• Rithy Panh
  Filmmaker, Co-founder of Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, "Asian Future" section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• SHIMIZU Hiromu
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Selected　Works
（1）Michael's（Thailand）
（2）Dedicated to Grandpa Dieu（Vietnam）
（3）Fragile（Malaysia）
（4）My Leg（Myanmar）
（5）A Political Life（Myanmar）

Official Website
http://www-archive.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sea-sh/en/vdp2015/

2014

Theme People and Nature in Southeast Asia

Application submission period June 1 – October 21, 2014

Numbers of Submission 60

Screening Committee Members

• ISHIZAKA Kenji
  Programming Director, "Asian Future" section at Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)
• SHIMIZU Hiromu
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
• HAYAMI Yoko
  Professor, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University

Selected Works
（1）Echoes from the hill（Thailand）
（2）The Silence of the Summer（Vietnam）
（3）My Grandpa's Route has been forever blocked（Thailand）
（4）More than a Tree（Myanmar）
（5）The Last generation（Indonesia）

Official Website
http://www-archive.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/sea-sh/vdp2014/