Victor Kossakovsky the Dogme from St Petersburg

Victor Kossakovsky opened his masterclass at the UK National Film and Television School in 2003 by telling the students, 'Nobody knows everything about film. So forget what I tell you. This is only my experience.' This was a typically modest introduction because Kossakovsky has developed into an influential figure in the world of documentary. He is a true auteur in that he directs, shoots and edits his own films. He says he would not like to work with a cameraman because he has to feel something is just right before he films it. Then he says, by the time he could explain exactly where he wants to look and how it should be shot, the moment has passed and it is gone forever. He has very strong views about form and has invented his own original approach to the genre.