Apr 20, 2026 4:15am PT

Laura Poitras Backs Push Against Paramount-Warner Deal, Warns of U.S. Doc Funding Crisis

Opening the industry section of Swiss doc festival Visions du Réel, the U.S. filmmaker points to collective action in the doc community among funding cuts

Lise Pedersen

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Lise Pedersen

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Courtesy of Jan Sturmann

Opening the industry section of Swiss doc festival Visions du Réel, with her latest Netflix-produced feature “Cover-Up” serving as the festival’s opening film, Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras pointed to a documentary sector that is not only under pressure but increasingly mobilized – including around opposition to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal.

Citing an open letter signed by more than 1,000 industry professionals, she said: “There’s recently been a letter calling to block the merger – I know behind the scenes a lot of documentary filmmakers were involved in that, there’s that kind of engagement.”