Ray Kril has been a professional filmmaker for a long time. Born and educated in the United States, his illustrious career has spanned more than fifty years of projects around the world, functioning at times as either a cameraperson, an editor, a director, an actor, and a producer in locations including (alphabetically) Albania, Brazil, Cuba, England, Germany, Guyana, India, Romania, Russia, and Suriname covering sport, culture, current affairs, drama, and the environment.
Presently living and working in Thailand since 2020, Ray spent the previous 9 years before that in Malaysia, where he was a member of the Faculty of Communication Media and Broadcast at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology. Before that, he spent 20 years in the Netherlands teaching 6 years at the Saxion University of Applied Science’s Academy of Art and Technology and 20 years managing his own productions of corporate and commercial projects. He’s also taught film studies at three different universities in the United States. He’s currently the Principal at Black Eye International, which provides consulting services, script advice, and executive production for international media projects.
In between several ongoing projects, Ray has recently devised a comprehensive, 3-year Bachelor’s Degree in Documentary Studies that he’s now discussing with potential university partners throughout Southeast Asia. We caught up with him to discuss his passions and motivation, and his view on the current state of documentary storytelling.
Q: What’s so special about documentaries, and why do people watch them?
The practice of documenting others’ true stories expands our worldview, enables cultural competency, and builds empathy. A documentary captures, crafts, and communicates the human and social experiences through narratives and imagery that both illuminate and inspire. A strong documentary combines compelling content, a clear understanding of why the story matters, and effective narrative structure. It’s a privilege to represent other peoples’ experiences, but with that privilege go ethical responsibilities.
Q: What does a filmmaker get from becoming a documentarian?
Aside from developing an understanding of multiple platforms and formats, successful documentarians all demonstrate sensitivity in cross-cultural storytelling, they understand how to conduct thorough research and develop a compelling narrative structure, an understanding of cultural history, and they learn how to work effectively in local and remote environments. A good documentarian will also have an appreciation of various ethical and legal frameworks that guide the creative process as well as an informed knowledge of the history of documentaries.
Q: What were some of your earlier projects, and how did they come about?
Well, I kind of began in earnest after completing my Master’s degree and was working at the University of Iowa where I made a series of experimental, multi-screen projects using Super 8 cameras and films and incorporating live music and recorded soundtrack. I termed these “Folk Films” which included one that I made in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War that toured nationally there and was picked up by the Public Broadcasting System in the United States. While at Iowa I did my first documentary called “Children of God”, which was a cinema verité documentary made inside the cult of that same name. I set up a production company with offices in the UK and US where I got my first professional experience doing tour documentaries before moving to Los Angeles where I had the chance to work with some legendary filmmakers as well as to see if LA was a good fit for me.
By the mid-70s I was teaching at Cornell University but I took a leave of absence and relocated to South America to work on a film with a group that I helped to create with a Guyanese scholar who was on the faculty there, Rupert Roopnaarine. The group was called the Victor Jara collective named after the late Chilean folk singer, Victor Jara, and the project was named “The Terror and the Time.” We were producing it in Guyana, where my collaborator Rupert was from, but we ended up having to smuggle the 16mm footage to New York for post-production after the government decided it didn’t approve of the film’s historical context. That project was funded by personal donations and support generated through a series of preview screenings of the work in progress. It was completed in 1977 and is still shown at festivals, universities, and theaters to this day. We’re now in the process of a 4K remastering, which will give it a whole new life.
In the early 1980s, by which time I was living in the Netherlands, I also spent four years in Suriname working on a televised project that was stimulated by the military coup there, where I teamed up with some Cuban filmmakers about the history of the country. But following the invasion of Grenada in 1983, Suriname buckled under US pressure and I lost my position after accused of being a Cuban operative and having all of our film material impounded. I travelled by land back to Guyana.
Q: Wow, that all sounds like a documentary in itself! What are some of the projects you’re currently working on?
I’m now living in in Nong Sang Soi, Thailand, where I started documenting the village culture and the part Buddhism played peoples’ lives, and that turned into a project called “A Dedication of Faith Film” about the village life and the goings on around the local temple, Wat Saithong. I’m currently in production on a feature documentary with the working title “Walking with Vincent: Opus Memorandum,” which explores the influence that Vincent Van Gogh’s artistic evolution has had on my own life experiences, leading up to my time here in Thailand.
Q: Sounds like you haven’t slowed down! Tell us, how do documentarians typically go about raising the money they need for their projects? How do you guys support yourselves when you’re working on a project that takes years to make and isn’t on a Hollywood budget?
That’s a good question. The easiest source is to be able to get a TV contract for your idea. I was fortunate to have been involved in the production of documentaries for an 8-episode series that went on for a couple of years in the Netherlands. Each episode had a standard budget, which facilitated drawing additional support as needed from funding organizations related in some manner to the subject matter.
I was doing commercial work for an international agency and was able to save some funds from that, and having my own equipment certainly helped. I would take 2 to 3 months to do a production that I wanted to do and I found that if I could put up 50% of the budget myself, I was always able to draw additional support. But it’s not always that simple. It certainly helps to have distribution in place before you even begin.
Q: How has digital technology and social media affected documentaries, if at all?
That’s a good follow-up question from the last one! I myself have worked in production from the days of 16mm film to early video tape into digital production today. The basic costs have decreased in terms of production material, as well as editing. And I’d say that social media has produced a new type of documentary production because of Tik Tok, websites, and streaming platforms. One no longer has to worry about how to present their work; you can put it out on YouTube, Vimeo, or a dozen other social media platforms. This of course has had its positive as well as negative contributions to the development of documentaries.
Personally, I no longer concern myself with funding for what I choose to work on. I have my own point-and-shoot Canon camera, a decent phone camera, and some basic editing software – which means I don’t need any assistance and can work at my own pace and schedule, without any deadlines or payrolls. The editor I have been working with for years in the Netherlands, Theo Rabin, helps me with refining my editing and structure. Eventually, I’ll need funds to do digital transfers of the film material, to license rights to any copyrighted music I want to use, and for final edits and mixing and color grading. I’ll do some previews, or start a Go Fund Me, to try and raise those costs. But what’s important is that I can shoot everyday if I want to, and I do very often!
Q: What is the Southeast Asia Documentary Studies Program?
I want to create a program that gets students ready for real careers in documentary production across different platforms—with a strong focus on Southeast Asian stories, cross-cultural storytelling, and doing documentary work ethically. It involves a comprehensive, 3-year bachelor’s degree curriculum balancing theoretical knowledge with hands-on production experience, preparing graduates for the evolving media landscape. In an era where authentic storytelling has never been more vital, Documentary Studies emerges as a transformative field that bridges artistic expression with social engagement.
The program will be open to students from the Southeast Asia region as well as outside the region, making it an attractive study opportunity for students from Western countries.
Q: Why Southeast Asia?
Documentary work in Southeast Asia necessarily dissolves artificial boundaries between aesthetics and politics, between artistic expression and social development. Our program demonstrates how compelling artistry can enhance cross-cultural understanding, while deep regional knowledge enriches aesthetic practice. Doing this in Southeast Asia will allow students to develop technical mastery alongside cultural fluency. Meaningful cross-cultural communication requires both social awareness and individual artistry. The program’s hands-on opportunities throughout the region will help students develop both of these skills.
Take Malaysia, for example, where I taught for nine years. It’s a truly multicultural nation within the heart of Southeast Asia that provides an ideal foundation for international documentary studies. Students here experience firsthand the negotiation of cultural boundaries, the interplay of tradition and modernity, and the challenges of representation across linguistic and cultural divides. Such a daily immersion in cultural complexity develops the sensitivity and sophistication essential for ethical documentary practice in our globalized world.
The contemporary landscape for documentary work in Southeast Asia extends intoemo multiple sectors that are experiencing rapid growth. The region’s emerging economies are producing corporations eager to document their development stories and communicate their values to international audiences. Educational institutions throughout ASEAN nations increasingly seek multimedia content that reflects local perspectives while meeting international standards.
Q: How will this program differ from traditional film school studies?
Unlike traditional classroom-based learning, our program transforms the entire world into a laboratory of human experiences, where real people, authentic situations, and genuine communities become the primary “texts” for study and exploration.
Our SEAIDS Documentary Studies program draws from the deep well of human inquiry that have long sought to understand individual lives, collective experiences, and historical and cultural transitions. Rooted in anthropology, folklore, psychology, political history, economics, and oral history, the program provides students with theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches that inform ethical, nuanced storytelling.
I’m also incorporating a team of consultants, advisors, and contractors with whom I have worked, as well as former students now doing professional work around the world, to do online mentoring as needed for various projects. So, it’s not a limited faculty.
Q: What skillsets do you need to be a documentarian, and how will you help students develop them?
The convergence of media platforms means that documentary skills – visual composition, narrative structure, ethical interviewing, and cultural sensitivity – have become essential competencies across professional fields. Whether creating content for websites, developing multimedia presentations, or preserving institutional memory through oral history projects, our graduates will find themselves well positioned to meet the communication challenges of the 21st century. Cultural competency, linguistic awareness, and a global perspective are all increasingly valued by international organizations, media companies, and educational institutions worldwide.
Through sustained inquiry and hands-on practice throughout the region and the support of international professionals, the student will discover and develop their own creative process and their unique and original documentary voice.
Q: Can you make a living supporting yourself as a documentarian? Give me an idea of where the opportunities are.
Those with specialized skills in photography, filmmaking, or audio production will always find ready employment in professional creative settings. Traditional media outlets – television networks, streaming platforms, production companies – continue to seek skilled professionals, but new frontiers have emerged across industries and amongst sectors.
For example, social media platforms demand content creators who understand visual story-telling and audience engagement. Educational technology companies need professionals who can translate complex information into accessible, compelling formats. Cultural institutions require specialists who can preserve and present historical materials for contemporary audiences.
Beyond media-specific roles, the communication needs of modern organizations have created unexpected career pathways. City governments seek professionals who can document community initiatives and engage citizens through multimedia storytelling. Academic institutions need specialists who can capture and disseminate research findings, campus life, and institutional culture. Healthcare organizations, environmental groups, and social justice organizations increasingly recognize the power of documentary approaches to advance their missions.
Q: Sounds promising. Are there any specific examples you can point to in Southeast Asia?
International streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and regional services actively seek content that authentically represents Southeast Asian experiences. Global news organizations require correspondents and content creators who combine technical skills with deep regional knowledge. Cultural institutions worldwide need specialists who can interpret and present Southeast Asia for diverse audiences. From startup companies documenting their founding stories to multinational corporations chronicling their sustainability initiatives, the demand for skilled documentary practitioners who understand both the narrative craft and organizational communications continues to grow exponentially.
But we were just discussing opportunities that are not necessarily media-specific. Tourism boards throughout the region need sophisticated documentary approaches to represent their destinations authentically while appealing to global audience. Environmental organizations need skilled practitioners who can document Southeast Asia’s unique ecological changes and conservation efforts. Social enterprises and NGOs working on poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, and community development all depend on compelling storytelling to secure funding and build awareness.
Q: Excellent! Ray, one last question – is there any parting advice you’d like to pass on to the next generation of documentarians
Just make the films you want to make…keep shooting as much as possible with as many ideas that you see in your daily life. Take on jobs to earn income as a camera person, a production assistant, a researcher, or a writer, or an editor and hopefully you’ll gain experience and use those jobs to improve yourself. Eventually find the position in the production process that suits you. Concentrate your development in an area that you are comfortable doing. Watch as many documentaries and narrative films as you can with an analytical eye. Study the great artists work in painting, literature, poetry, and music. Work to see the world through a humanistic perspective. And take long walks in nature!