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Beyond Documentary Editing
A case study in finding structure inside documentary chaos
By Mojtaba Davijani
This presentation explores how documentary editing can evolve beyond assembling footage — becoming a process of narrative reconstruction, structural analysis, and creative direction in unfinished documentary projects.
When documentary projects lose structure,
ON HOLD” is an unfinished documentary project about Afghan migrants in Turkey — people living in uncertainty, suspended between borders, waiting, and survival. But for me, this project also became an example of something else: How documentary editing can go far beyond editing itself.
The Reality of Documentary Filmmaking
Documentary filmmaking is unpredictable by nature. Projects often begin with one idea and evolve into something completely different. Subjects disappear. Narratives collapse. Productions run out of money. Footage grows faster than the structure holding it together. “ON HOLD” was one of those projects. A documentary crew had spent months filming across different cities in Turkey for another story that eventually failed. During production, they were forced to change characters and rethink the direction of the film entirely. By the time the project arrived at my editing desk, it was already carrying the weight of that collapse
When the Project Reached the Edit
When the project arrived at my editing desk, it was already carrying the weight of a production that had lost its original direction. There was a massive amount of footage, multiple disconnected characters, fragmented storylines, unfinished emotional arcs, and no clear narrative structure holding everything together. Most of the production budget had already been spent, yet the project still felt far away from becoming an actual film.
There was also another important complication: the director did not speak Persian, while most of the subjects spoke directly to the camera in Persian. Communication during filming had mostly happened in Turkish, creating a gap between what had been filmed and what was fully understood during production.
The project had footage — but it did not yet have a film.
This is where my work began.
The Process
A. Reviewing and Logging Everything
We reviewed all available footage and built rough assemblies from everything that had been filmed.
The goal was simple:
to understand what actually existed inside the material.
B. Rebuilding the Narrative on Paper
Before making creative decisions, we needed to answer a harder question:
Can this footage become a film?
We began rewriting the project structurally:
- identifying themes
- emotional directions
- missing narrative pieces
- and possible story paths
C. Separating and Structuring Characters
Around six main characters were identified and separated into individual narrative lines.
Each character was edited independently first, allowing us to understand:
- who they were
- what their emotional arc was
- and whether they could carry part of the film
D. Creating Connections Between Stories
The biggest challenge was that these characters had almost no direct connection to one another.
Migration was the shared subject — but the emotional and narrative connections had to be created through editing.
This became one of the core editorial tasks of the project.
E. Identifying What Was Missing
Once the structure became visible, the project finally understood itself.
The director could now clearly see:
- what the film already had
- what it lacked
- and what needed to be filmed next
This prevented unnecessary future shooting and gave the production a focused direction.
The Funding Problem
The producer needed either:
- additional funding
or
- new investors willing to support the completion of the film
But documentary projects are difficult to explain through words alone.
Investors usually need to feel the film before believing in it.
Building a Teaser to Revive the Project
To solve this, I created a promotional teaser for the project.
Using:
- the original footage
- additional archival material
- and a reconstructed narrative direction
I built a teaser designed not only to present the film —
but to help revive the project itself.
I also:
- created the title “ON HOLD”
- shaped the teaser narrative
- and designed promotional poster material for the film
This teaser served several purposes:
- helping producers approach investors
- clarifying the film’s direction
- identifying missing production needs
- and rebuilding motivation inside the team
Beyond Editing
This project represents the type of documentary work I specialize in.
Not simply editing footage but helping projects discover their structure when structure no longer exists.
Some projects arrive with:
- too much footage
- fragmented narratives
- unclear identities
- unfinished productions
- or stories hidden inside chaos
My role is helping those projects find clarity.
Private Viewing
The teaser for “ON HOLD” is available for private viewing through a password-protected screening link.
Due to the unfinished and independently developed nature of the project, the teaser is not publicly accessible.
If you would like to watch the film, please get in touch via email to request access and receive the screening password.
