ABOUT US
2018
2018 Annual Report
This Annual Report tells you about the main achievements of Document Our History Now in 2018. This Annual Report and our 2018 Financial Report are available to the public on our website.
During 2018 our Coordinator Robert Witlox did have a few substantial freelance jobs besides his work for Document Our History Now, resulting in 3 months of actual working time for us. Considering this we are happy with the results in 2018.
The stories
The stories we financed, produced and posted on our website over the course of 2018 are:
We came in contact with Royal in 2017. In that year he had an exhibition in a gallery in Amsterdam. Because of personal reasons he could not come over for the vernissage. Royal is a nickname, since being a social activist or artist requires more support from the Bangladeshi society.
Minority in Minority
Royal was invited to show his work at the World Aids Conference in Amsterdam, July 2018. We are happy we could support his trip to Amsterdam. The photography series Gender Diversity can be seen as power point presentation on our website and was shown during the World Aids Conference in The Global Village.
In production
2. Cambodia: documentary Lotus Sports Club.
During 2018 contacts have been established with second producer Tomasso Colognese. With them we aim to improve the quality of Lotus Sports Club and attain a considerable post-production fund (costs after filming for editing, PR and marketing and distribution). During 2018 filmmaker Vana Hem did days of extra interviewing and filming, allowing us to deepen the story line of the coach Sovan and a few members of the football team. We also have more footage for attractive editing. In close communication with the team and the LGBTI organisation ROCK, we decided to name the documentary Lotus Sports Club. This title is cultural adaptive and also underlines that the final cut of this documentary will focus on the very interesting character and story of the coach, characterised as a Lotus by the team members. In December 2018 a ‘sizzle’ is produced (a long trailer of 8 minutes) to accompany applications for a postproduction budget we will send to prestigious film funds and film festival funds.
Events
Screening afternoon in the OBA in cooperation with IHLIA
In 2018 we skipped a presentation afternoon. We only organise it when we have sufficient new footage to show, which we expect in 2019.
Screening in garden Dutch embassy
In January 2018 we organised – in close cooperation with the Dutch embassy in Bangkok, OUTBKK and Human Rights in the picture – an LGBTI documentary event in the garden of the Dutch embassy. In this beautiful setting, the 200 visitors viewed a highly appreciated program, including DOHN productions and moderation. Based on a lively Q&A with filmmakers and invited speakers and the feedback we received, we concluded it was a big success.
Gardens of the Dutch embassy, 25 January 2018
In November this led to the invitation of the Dutch embassy to DOHN to organise such an event once again in February 2019. The Dutch embassy was also enthusiastic about our wish to organise such an event in 2019 in Laos and Cambodia. For both countries the Dutch embassy in Bangkok provides the consular services. In December we signed the contract for this project of 3 LGBTI documentary events (Thailand, Cambodia and Laos) in 2019.
Communication: website, Facebook and newsletter
Over the course of 2018 we posted one new production on our website (Gender Diversity by Royal). We also posted news updates on a regular basis.
We added about 8 Facebook posts over the course of 2018. We have now 230 followers.
The mailing list of our Newsletter had 627 mail addresses by the end of 2018. This group of interested people received 6 newsletters. We send out a newsletter every time a new production is posted on our website or when we want to invite for one of our events. Private individuals can easily subscribe to or unsubscribe for the newsletter.
Friends and sponsors of Document Our History Now
Over the course of 2018, our sponsors included the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NZ Sauna, Zielhuis Uitvaart, as well as our private sponsors.
Our people
The Board of Directors in 2018 consisted of Riemer Knoop (chair), Hugo Bongers (treasurer) and Ben Hekkema (secretary).
In 2018, our coordinator Robert Witlox invested a substantial amount of time in supporting the organisation, its productions, the communication, the presentation event, and in finding sponsors and expanding our network in Southeast Asia. For a small percentage of those hours he received compensation as a freelancer. In addition he carried out the Digital Library and Photography exhibition projects, for which DOHN received project grants.
Finding new projects
In 2018, contacts were established with a variety of organisations, professionals and documentary makers in various countries. We did bring together documentary makers, photographers, ideas and funds, playing the role of project developer and producer.
Finances
Our revenue in 2018 consisted of sponsoring fees from private sponsors and companies (approx. EUR 2.900). Contributions from foundations and associations (the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) was EUR 4.000.
In compliance with the obligations in connection with our ANBI tax status, this 2018 Annual Report and our 2018 Financial Report will both be posted on our website.
Looking forwards into 2019
The goals we set for 2019 are:
- Organizing and executing documentary events in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos,
- Together with producer Tomasso Colognese acquire a substantial post production budget for finishing and promoting the documentary Lotus Sports Club,
- Attract new sponsors and partnerships in order to find new financial volume for our primary goal: supporting beginning LGBTIQ+ documentary makers and photographers in Southeast Asia.
Amsterdam, February 2019, The Board of Directors of Document Our History Now.
