Come closer: film critic and philosopher Dana Linssen, an expert in the art of interviewing, invites directors Jan Soldat and Manuel Abramovich to openly discuss the conversations constructed and conducted in their works. While sharing an interest for characters often unnoticed or misrepresented (hence not always easily approachable), each director develops distinct means of creating proximity or maintaining professional distance within the documentary format. Jan’s practise often involves direct dialogues between him and his leads, whereas Manuel’s latest film (selected for this year’s Berlinale Shorts) writes the process of approaching protagonists into the finished work. Kickstarted by excerpts from their works, this conversation will include many voices, on and off screen.