The Art of Empathy: Vyacheslav Guz on the Power of Documentary Filmmaking

-Pradeep  Gupta 

Vyacheslav Guz, acclaimed producer at RT Documentary, recently visited Mumbai where he conducted a compelling masterclass on documentary filmmaking at the Russian Cultural Centre. The event offered a rare opportunity to gain insights from a seasoned storyteller whose work delves deeply into the emotional and political complexities of contemporary society.

I was a part of the event, Guz emphasized that a truly impactful documentary should engage the viewer not just intellectually, but emotionally. “A good documentary,” he remarked, “is like chewing gum for the mind—it keeps the audience engaged, constantly processing what they’re seeing and hearing.” According to him, the emotional core of any strong documentary is conflict. Whether internal—such as a protagonist’s personal struggle—or external, like the tension between an individual and societal forces, conflict drives narrative and compels the audience to care.

One of Guz’s most thought-provoking points was that applause is not the goal. “A good director,” he said, “seeks not to be applauded, but to elicit laughter or tears.” The ultimate aim is emotional authenticity. Central to this is empathy, which Guz considers the most powerful emotion in the filmmaker’s toolkit. “If the audience can truly feel what your subject is experiencing, then the documentary has succeeded,” he explained.

 I also had the opportunity to view ‘Renaissance’, a 2015 documentary produced by Guz. The film explores the resurgence of nationalist ideologies in modern Europe, echoing a dangerous past. Through interviews with a former Waffen SS fighter and survivors of the Salaspils concentration camp, the documentary confronts the viewer with deeply unsettling narratives. These testimonies contradict official versions of history and offer a chilling account of fascism's brutal legacy.

The film also interrogates the controversial formation of Nazi-aligned Latvian military units, sparking ongoing debate over their role in history. Critics featured in the film challenge the logic of modern-day fascist sympathizers, while some voices accuse the Latvian government of attempting to sanitize or revise the historical record. Renaissance is a sobering reflection on how close Europe may be to repeating its darkest chapters.

Guz noted that one of the defining characteristics of documentary filmmaking is its unpredictability. Unlike scripted feature films, documentaries often shift direction during production as real-life events evolve. “And that,” he said, “is not only inevitable—it’s essential. It brings authenticity to the story.”

In conclusion, Guz’s insights highlight a fundamental truth about documentary cinema: its power lies not in polished perfection, but in its raw capacity to move, provoke, and inspire. A great documentary, in his view, should always leave its audience with something to think about—and something to feel.

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