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Today, Women Make Movies‘ feature, Sarabah, is being broadcasted on Link TV.
To complement this broadcast, we bring you an exclusive interview with the Director.
Telegraph21: What inspired you to make Sarabah?
Maria Luisa: Meeting Fatou (aka Sister Fa) was the biggest inspiration. Anyone who meets her can attest. We met her at the UN Day Concert (where she performed with Niles Rodgers) in 2009, and the next day we talked about doing a short piece on her for a series we were producing at Link TV. But she started talking about all the causes she cares about, the things she is fighting for, her beliefs about grassroots change – and we were hooked. Steven Lawrence (my co-producer and the Executive Producer on the film) was there with her that day, and in the car afterwards we were in complete agreement that we had to do something more with her story. So, we decided to kick into high gear. Steven started raising money to finance it more fully, and I went to Berlin to start filming her; the money Steven raised allowed me to go to Senegal with a micro-budget to join her on tour. It all happened very quickly.
Telegraph21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
Maria Luisa: The most important thing to take away is that an individual can make a difference, and that activism can take many forms. Sister Fa uses her talent and her popular appeal as a vehicle to get an important message across; it takes a lot of courage to do that, to risk offending people when you depend on people buying your music. It’s also really important for people to perceive that this movie is about an African making a difference in Africa. These are the kinds of stories Americans don’t usually get to see because our media gives preference to activism stories about celebrities like Bono and George Clooney. There are plenty of people like Sister Fa who need our attention and support.
Telegraph21: How did you first connect with the Sister Fa?
Maria Luisa: Steven, Gloria Bremer (my co-director) and I were all working on a series for Link TV called “Rappers, Divas and Virtuosos,” featuring dynamic musicians from Muslim cultures. We wanted to do the last piece on Sister Fa, so we made a point to connect with her at the 2009 UN Day Concer, where Steven had arranged for her to perform.
Maria Luisa: Steven, Gloria Bremer (my co-director) and I were all working on a series for Link TV called “Rappers, Divas and Virtuosos,” featuring dynamic musicians from Muslim cultures. We wanted to do the last piece on Sister Fa, so we made a point to connect with her at the 2009 UN Day Concer, where Steven had arranged for her to perform.
Telegraph21: What can be learned from her experience?
Maria Luisa: I think what can be learned is that it’s worth taking the risks. She takes a lot of risks in this film. She takes time away from building her musical career in Germany. She takes her whole family and band to Senegal. There is no major funding, and that’s also a very deliberate choice, but obviously one that augments the challenges. She is talking about something that a lot of people would still rather not talk about. She’s doing this in a village full of family and lifelong friends, and she doesn’t know what their reactions will be. But she believes in her cause and she believes in her message. That makes the choices very simple.
Telegraph21: What have been some of the successes of the “Education Without Excision” campaign she started? Has there been change in Senegal?
Maria Luisa: The change is coming slowly. Sister Fa’s campaign is one part of it. This is a huge cultural change that has been in process, and will continue to be in process. The effect her campaign has had is to broaden the dialogue a little more, and that is a really important component. No one’s going for an easy win here – easy wins usually end up being temporary. This is something that takes patience work at the roots. Tostan is a big factor too – their approach of respect-based communication and general education has proven very effective. So, luckily there is steady change happening, and there’s every reason to believe the practice could be almost completely eradicated in Senegal by the middle of this decade.
Telegraph21: What is the potential of music as a tool for activism?
Maria Luisa: I can’t say enough about this. There are a lot of people who could articulate this much better. Let me just say that music has enormous potential because you are communicating on many levels. You are getting at people emotionally, and then you can also get strong message in there. Look at what Ramy Essam has done for the Egyptian protests – I can’t get those songs out of my head, they’re so beautiful and they express such a longing and such a desire to commit to the cause. You can see the difference music makes when Sister Fa gets on stage. People’s ears are more open. They are woken up on many levels. So, the dialogue that comes after is more charged. Music electrifies.
Telegraph21: Your favorite thing about Senegal?
Maria Luisa: That’s a nice question. The music is one sure thing to absolutely love. But I’d have to say the thing that really struck me is the pace of life and the quality of human interaction. Her band members are all German, and we talked about this a lot. People really take time with each other, if they stop to say hello they stay a while, there’s no rushing, there are no deadlines. The next appointment can wait. People care about the conversations they’re having in the moment. It all creates a completely different state of being for the time that you’re there; you don’t notice the change at first, but after a few days you notice that your whole perception is totally changed. I’d like to go back soon and enjoy it when I’m not trying to get a movie made!
WOMEN MAKE MOVIES:
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Women Make Movies continues to achieve international recognition through its distribution and Production Assistance programs, with films acknowledged by the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards, as well as at Cannes and the Sundance Film Festival. In 2012, WMM will be screening films around the world at 40 events, reaching over 40,000 women and young girls.
Our partner Women Make Movies brought to our attention the upcoming broadcast of the film Sin By Silence on the Discovery Channel on October 17th. Sin By Silence follows Brenda Clubine, who has been locked up for 26 years for murdering her abusive husband. She started Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA), the first support and advocacy group of its kind – for women in prison, by women in prison. I had the opportunity to interview filmmaker Olivia Klaus about the film.
Telegraph21: What inspired you to make Sin by Silence?
Olivia Klaus: My world was shattered by a three-minute phone call. I had always heard about domestic violence, but it was a problem that happened to other people. Yet, there it was…on the other end of the phone. A close friend of mine was a victim. As my mind started racing for ways to help or fix things, I realized that I was completely helpless. I had no answers, no solutions. I held that phone in silence as I heard the dark secrets of a seemingly perfect marriage unravel.
My painstaking journey to help continued as I started discovering women’s shelters and organizations. Yet, they offered extremely limited resources for victims and those trying to help. Then a conversation with a colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Leonard – author of Convicted Survivors- changed everything. She started talking about her own inspiration for solutions to the crisis at hand. She suggested that my quest include a trip to the most unlikely place – prison!
Since that first visit to prison, and meeting the incredible survivors of Convicted Women Against Abuse, I found that I could never pretend that life was the way it was before. These women were serving life in prison for killing their abusive husbands and I slowly realized they were the experts on domestic violence that I had been searching for. As months of meetings went on and relationships were built, the women soon found out that my background was filmmaking and approached me to help tell their stories. I knew with this request came a long journey, yet I knew their voices must be heard. If these women’s stories could be heard beyond prison walls, then I just knew that countless lives would be saved…..and Sin by Silence was born.
Telegraph21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
Olivia Klaus: The title of the film comes from an Abraham Lincoln quote that states, “To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards of men.” So, it is our duty to start conversations about this silent problem so that we begin to create environments for victims of abuse to feel comfortable to finally ask for help. To finally speak up and say to that friend, “Is everything alright? I’m really worried about you.” Just saying such a simple phrase could eventually be the difference between life and death for someone. With four women dying a day due to violence in the home, it’s definitely worth the effort to speak up!
Telegraph21: How did you first connect with the organization Convicted Women Against Abuse?
Olivia Klaus: When I had started on the journey to help my friend, I started discovering women’s shelters and organizations. Yet, they offered extremely limited resources for victims and those trying to help. Then a conversation with a colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Leonard – author of Convicted Survivors – changed everything. She started talking about her own inspiration for solutions to the crisis at hand. She suggested that my quest include a trip to the most unlikely place – prison!
The first time I visited the California Institution for Women was in 2001. I was nervous that evening, wondering whom I was about to meet. The group Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA) was comprised of women who had killed the men they once loved. But when the meeting started, I was slowly introduced to women who could be my neighbors, my friends, my sister…or even myself.
Since that first meeting, I have been unable to turn my back on the women of CWAA. They, along with my friend, opened my eyes to a part of the world that I never knew existed. Once that silence had been broken, I found that I could never pretend that life was the way it was before.
Telegraph21: What can be learned from Brenda Clubine’s experience?
Olivia Klaus: I think the most important thing that Brenda and the women of Convicted Women Against Abuse experiences teach us is that abusive relationships can happen to anyone. Abuse sees no boundaries of age, race, class, religion or education – and the statistics show us the fact that 1 in 3 women will experience some sort of abuse in their lifetime. Anyone can find themselves in an abusive relationship having to defend their life. In a split second everything can change.
Telegraph21: What was the most difficult part about filming in the California Institution for Women?
Olivia Klaus: Filming didn’t just happen overnight. There were many approvals needed from the California Department of Corrections. Yet, since I had been a volunteer with CWAA, something that could take a media crew up to six months to gain approval happen for me in one month’s time. I was already an ‘employee’ in the eyes of the officials and employees at the institution. They knew my heart and knew my passion to help these women.
Month after month, year after year, I drove the 70 miles to be at every CWAA meeting. I listened to experiences that were living nightmares. I began trying to raise funds. The women of CWAA believed that they could be a part of impacting the “outside” world and gave the first $1000 – a donation made up from average wages of only 10 cents an hour.
We began the process of filming countless CWAA meetings under the horrible production conditions of prison and state schedules. By participating and listening in on these interactions, we documented several women’s epic stories as they began to discover hope and dignity. Many interviewees openly expressed gratitude for the freedom to tell “the whole story” to someone with whom they felt comfortable. A surprisingly large proportion of the women stated that this was their first opportunity to openly reveal their lives, their abuse, their experiences, and their perceptions. Many members who used to remain in the background started to find their voice and members started inviting other inmates they met on the yard. An entirely new sense of purpose was given to the women of CWAA and a sense of empowerment came from finally being able to have their voices be heard.
Telegraph21: Your source of inspiration?
Olivia Klaus: People have always been my inspiration. I have always had a passion to be a voice for the voiceless. So, I guess it was only natural for me to become a filmmaker because I believe that changing the world starts with a story. Simple or complicated, it doesn’t matter. A good story, well told, can change lives, change laws and can change you.
Telegraph21: What are your thoughts about the continued misconceptions about Domestic Violence in the United States?
Olivia Klaus: Not too long ago, newspapers were cluttered with headlines of the very public act of violence against Rihanna. Overnight, Rihanna’s private nightmare became a public debate. “She deserved it.” “She is trying to get attention.” “She started it.” These kinds of comments revealed a startling response to teen dating violence and the statistics prove it – 1 in 3 teens experience abuse, 2 out of 3 teens who experience abuse never report it.Sadly, Domestic and dating violence isn’t going away anytime soon. Laws are not able to change what goes on behind closed doors. I do think the government plays a vital role in the solution for a violence-free future, yet I think the more important role lies within communities, friends, family and neighbors who step in to help someone experiencing abuse. Every day we can take a step towards improving the quality of our own lives and communities. I wish there was a quick solution, but the fact is that this is going to be a long journey towards change.
One simple thing that everyone can do to make a difference, is to watch Sin by Silence when it premieres on Investigation Discovery on Oct 17th at 8pm ET/PT. Nearly 78 million hones will have the opportunity to get to know the incredible CWAA women. I encourage everyone to use this opportunity to invite their friends over to learn more about the issues. Through the women of CWAA stories of terror and hope, we can all better understand the cycle of violence, the signs of an abuser, and how each and every one of us is responsible for changing the tragedy of domestic violence.
Telegraph21: Do you think the criminal justice system in the United States provides sufficient services for women in prison?
Olivia Klaus: To this day, Convicted Women Against Abuse remains the only inmate-initiated battered women support group in the entire U.S. prison system. Women who remain behind bars, serving a life sentence, are in pain and need the resources to help them heal. Yet, unfortunately most Corrections Departments in this country would rather spend their budgets on guard salaries than help the people who need it the most.
That is what makes CWAA so amazing and unique – started by inmates, run by inmates, to help inmates. We should all take a lesson in activism from these women. Because if they can come out of the worst nightmares, to become healed and empowered women who have helped change laws from behind prison walls; than we most certainly can do our part to make a difference out here by inviting our friends over to watch the television premier of Sin by Silence on Oct 17th and start the ripple effect to make our homes and communities safer.
ABOUT THE FILM: http://www.SinBySilence.com
ABOUT THE BROADCAST: http://www.InvestigationDiscovery.com/Silence
Distributed by t21 partner Women Make Movies, THE LEARNING, by Ramona Diaz, will be broadcast on POV on PBS, Tuesday, September 20. To see local listings, click here. We had the opportunity to interview Ramona about the film and her filming experience.
t21: What inspired you to make The Learning?
RD: When I first heard about the Baltimore City Public School System
(BCPSS) recruiting Filipino teachers, it sounded so weird and
intriguing. Intuitively, I knew there was a story in it somewhere.
Then, when I met the teachers, I saw how dedicated, brave, and hopeful
they were, I knew I had to tell their stories. Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFW) sacrifice more than anyone should and carry the burden
of supporting a large part of the Philippine economy on their
over-burdened shoulders. I wanted to pay homage to them with this
film.
t21: What was the biggest obstacle in making it?
RD: As always, funding was an issue. But I was lucky enough to get some
R&D money to film the recruitment and from there edit a fundraising
trailer. And of course, filming in the classrooms was difficult just
because classrooms are difficult environments to shoot in the first
place – the noise levels are off the charts and it’s very
unpredictable. We were dealing with teenagers and adolescents who
may love to be filmed one day but may not want you around the next. I
totally got this having been a teenager once myself. So we did have a
deal with them that if on any given day they did not want to be
filmed, they could just tell us privately and we’d film around them.
This arrangement worked well.
t21. How did you first identify and connect with the four women that you feature?
RD: I met them when I was invited to film the recruitment process. They
were some of only a handful of teachers who allowed me to film their
interview. I figured if they had the guts to have the camera in the
room while they were interviewing for what was probably the most
important job prospect in their lives, they’d probably be cool with me
hanging around them for a year and a half. I was also wanting to film
a teacher who was leaving an infant behind (Grace), a breadwinner of
her entire family (Angel), someone who had been teaching for a long
time (Dorotea), and someone who had a different reason for going to
the US, aside from the financial (Rhea).
t21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
RD: I just want viewers who may not necessarily meet women like Dorotea,
Angel, Grace and Rhea to get to know their stories and walk in their
shoes for 90 minutes or so. So if, and when, they come across women
like them, they have a little bit of empathy and know what they’ve
sacrificed.
t21: What was it like filming in a school setting? Did it impact the classroom activities?
RD: We filmed in the classrooms for an entire year. At first of course it
was a little odd to have a film crew in the classroom. However, after
the first week or so, the kids got used to it so we were just part of
the reality of their day. One thing I made sure was that the teachers
got through what they needed to get through that day and we weren’t a
hindrance to that process.
t21: What do you think about the current situation of public education in the United States?
RD: I hesitate to answer this, I’m not an education expert. So I preface
this answer by saying that based on my experience filming in the four
schools in Baltimore for a year, I believe that the way the curriculum
is presented leaves much to be desired because they are so beholden to
doing well on standardized tests they become dull and rote. One of
the school officials described the children as “kids who do not want
to be in the classroom, they’d rather be hanging out in the streets.”
And then I realized, I’d be one of those wanting to hang out in the
streets myself. I also realized that kids do want to hang out in the
schools if you give them reason and inspire them to do so. One of the
teachers, Angel, formed an after school Math Club and she got around a
dozen kids to sign up. She made it fun and formed a community where
the kids could explore math on their own terms. It was so inspiring
and hopeful to see that.
t21: What do you like most about Baltimore? And about the Philippines?
RD: The Philippines will always be my spiritual home. I try and go back
at least once a year. It’s a place where I don’t have to start
sentences with “in the Philippines, we do it this way…” It’s nice,
it’s comfort food. However, America (I say America because I’ve lived
in so many cities in this country) is where I can grow professionally
and intellectually and be challenged to take on projects and have the
support to do so.
Interview with Josué Jaramillo, Director, Tatián (la casa en el árbol) by Steffie Kinglake
t21: What inspired you to make Tatián?
JJ: I was inspired by my father who died when he was quite young.
t21: What was the biggest obstacle making it?
JJ: At first it was just college work without really thinking about the budget, which for a student is always little. I think one of the biggest obstacles was finding a committed, responsible team who were passionate about making animation. To do stop motion you need a lot of time and patience…
t21: Favorite or most unexpected response to the film?
JJ: Silence and tears.
t21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
JJ: Love for a father who is no longer here.
t21: Can you share with us a bit about the process of creating the characters?
JJ: The main character is based on me, but I have studied the son of a friend who I really appreciate. The name “Tatian” is after him, as his is Sebastian and for short we call him Tatian. For the development of the father figure, I studied the pictures of my father and mother. But I have to confess that there was not much time to create a personality. But his hair was an achievement - looks great.
t21: Has the film been used in school or educational settings?
JJ: At some schools in my city it has been shown to students.
t21: What are some of the earliest memories you have of being in a garden or in open fields?
JJ: Ummm, yes, I have a particular one. My father had a fairly large coffee plantation. I rode on horseback with my mother and sister. I was once with my father on the horse, and my mother was with my sister. She cried because she wanted to be on my father’s horse, and the solution was to mount all three on the horse – my sister, my father and me. The horse drank water from a well and followed the course. I was not even three-years-old, but the few memories I have of my father are treasures that I keep in my memory and heart.
t21: If I was not a filmmaker, I would be a _____?
JJ: Star painter, carpenter, crazy doctor, I do not know …
t21: The biggest global problem today?
JJ: Distance and traffic in Bogota.
t21: Last song that was stuck in your head?
JJ: “”Where is My Mind” by The Pixies.
t21: Last book you read?
JJ: The Catcher in Rye, by J. D. Salinger
t21: Boat, train or plane?
JJ: Depends on the destination. But I want a boat to go to an island to rest from work.
t21: Last meal you made?
JJ: Spaghetti with chorizo.
t21: Latest obsession?
JJ: Sex.
t21: Source of inspiration?
JJ: Sex.
t21: Personal motto?
JJ: I want to change the world.
t21: Whom would you love to work with?
JJ: Tim Burton, Michael Gondry, Leonardo da Vinci.
t21: Ten-year goal?
JJ: Change the world or at least the one closest to me.
t21: Your next or current project?
JJ: I don’t have the name completely determined, but it will almost definitely be called Alejandro. It is a stop motion on the environment and how to change the world.
t21: Your question for Telegraph21?
JJ: If you have thought about changing the world, how would you do it?
t21: I think about it every day. There are many ways to go about it, but I think implementing conflict resolution and peace-building workshops in schools for children of all ages all around the world is one way. Ensuring better distribution of resources so those most in need can eat, drink water, have a home, and access to health care and education. Stop of depletion of the rain forest and pollution of the water sources world wide, stop the manufacturing of nuclear weapons . . . my list could go on and on.
Interview with Sergio Bloch, Director, On Wheels Brasil by Steffie Kinglake
t21: What inspired you to make On Wheels Brasil?
SB: Street culture has attracted my attention since the beginning when I shot my first movie as a director – Donkey without a Tail - in 1995. I have always been fascinated about people who face the day-to-day challenge of earning their life on the streets, in an autonomous way, without sacrificing their independence and joie de vivre.
t21: What was the biggest obstacle in making it?
SB: The characters’ research was the most difficult phase. Brazil is such a big country, and our characters are constantly moving from one place to the other.
t21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
SB: I would like viewers to see the creativity and originality of the characters, the way they interact and relate to each other, and their courage to work from the streets taking risks daily, daring to present themselves to the world in an unusual way. That is what I look for in my research, and that is what makes those characters so special.
t21: What were some of the wheel contraptions that you were most surprised by while making the film?
SB: In general, I like carts that are a kind of extension of its owner. Many carts have a very aesthetic and very original construction. When you see characters side by side with their carts, they seem like “urban centaurs!” Sometimes it is hard to tell where the cart ends and the body of the character begins.
t21: What you love most about Brazil?
SB: I love cultural diversity and the “scenarios” of my country. In fact, Brazil is like a mix of different countries that share the same language – Portuguese. Well … even the language has quite large differences from one region to the other!
t21: What is your favorite memory of riding a bike or making something with wheels as a child?
SB: I remember very clearly when I first started riding a bike – I was 6-years-old. Recently I had the opportunity to feel that good emotion again by teaching my children to ride their bikes. The thrill of learning to ride on two wheels is huge: it is the first major step we take in pursuit of our freedom. The wind blowing in your face, the feeling of being free … those sensations make the bike a very effective vehicle.
t21: What are your thoughts about the changing economy in Brazil?
SB: Some 15 years ago, Brazil underwent a great social improvement due to the stability of the Brazilian currency. This allowed a very important economic growth that has lifted millions out of poverty, and many other Brazilians had jumped into a more comfortable situation. Looking to the future, what we should be careful about is to make sure that the growth of the country does not compromise what today is fundamental: the construction of a society more focused on subjective values, where the consumer is more aware, and we may have a more sustainable relationship with the planet.
This t21 feature and interview were made possible with the collaboration of ITVS’ Global Voices, produced by ITVS International.
Interview with Benjamin Wigley, Director of Award-winning short PS Your Mystery Sender.
t21: What inspired you to make PS Your Mystery Sender?
BW: I was inspired to make the film when the Scottish Documentary Institute came to give a talk about their documentary scheme, which had a theme of surprise, when I noticed that Paul had been receiving these objects when he posted a picture on his blog. I knew this was a great story and could see the opportunity to make a very visual film. So the next and biggest hurdle was to get him on board.
t21: Favorite/most unexpected response to the film?
BW: My favorite response from an audience is that people like the poetry and the creative visual sequences. This is essentially where I was trying to experiment and develop a style in a documentary that is fresh and somewhat unique to me as a filmmaker. So some might be adverse to my approach and therefore I like it when people compliment those parts of the film.
t21: What was the biggest obstacle making it?
BW: Managing to get Paul on board could be seen as being the biggest obstacle, although he accepted quite quickly. But I went to a lot of effort to make him want to be on board with the project. I built a cereal box design, which had a surprise inside - this was a DVD of a trailer I cut together with footage from films I liked and a handwritten letter on a photo of a rose. I also placed the flyer in the box so he understood the scheme, and some real cereal. Then I wrapped it up with string and stuck stamps all over the cereal box and posted it. He phoned me two days later and said yes.
t21: What do you want viewers to take away from the film?
BW: To let yourself believe that there is still a little magic left in the world.
t21: What was your favorite piece of mail he received?
BW: I suppose the red watering can is one of the most iconic, but the two odd water skis are great and how on earth did they send the massive red trailer from overseas without a parcel?
t21: What inspired you to make Skateistan: To Live and Skate in Kabul?
OE: I first heard about the good work of Skateistan from a friend who was doing aid work in Kabul. My ears immediately pricked up. Grain Media’s background was in action sports (once upon a time I was a pro snowboarder) and for the last few years I have spent a lot of my career shooting documentaries about social issues in places experiencing conflict. So the idea of shooting some sort of skateboarding documentary in Afghanistan seemed like a good fit for me. I was also very interested in making a film that was about something positive happening in Afghanistan.
t21: Favorite/most unexpected response to the film?
OE: I’ve been pretty blown away at the response we’ve had to the film. Some of the write-ups in newspapers and on blogs have been quite humbling. However, probably the best responses have been the thousands of people who have now discovered the Skateistan project and who are donating their time, assistance or money to it.
t21: What was the biggest obstacle making it?
OE: This film definitely didn’t have an easy birthing process. There were tons of difficulties in shooting it – the budget, the weather, faulty equipment, a very tight deadline etc. However I think most people watching the film would think that the biggest difficulty in making it would have been the security situation. Afghanistan is definitely not a safe place to be, and the evidence of war and fighting is pretty much everywhere you look; however, we did not actually ever feel threatened while we were there and funnily enough, the time we felt most scared was when American army convoys would drive past. The 16mm camera we were shooting on looked just like a bazooka so we spent a lot of time jumping up and down and waving at U.S. troops trying to convince them that we were just stupid foreigners and not insurgents! Pretty much all Afghans we met were very friendly to us with complete strangers often offering Franklin Dow (the film’s cinematographer) and myself cups of chai and even lunch.
t21: How did you first connect with the young skateboarders you profile?
OE: I spent much of my youth skateboarding and while I wouldn’t dream of saying I was any good today, I can still pop a few tricks. I think when the kids saw that I was a skater they opened up to us a lot more as they could identify with me as a fellow athlete rather than just a much older foreign man with a big scary camera. We also waited about 4 days into the shoot before we started doing short interviews with the kids, so they had time to get used to us being about.
t21:What most impressed you about the skateboarding school?
OE: I can’t bang the Skateistan drum loud enough. Before we went to Afghanistan my housemate and I were having a chat about whether spending money on a skateboard park was a legitimate use of scarce resources, especially in a country where people outside of the cities don’t have safe water or electricity. However, after spending time with the project I really do believe that it is worth every penny given to it. Kids in Kabul grow up very quickly with many working on the streets by the time they are 8 years old. Skateistan is like an oasis where children can be children, and where for a few hours they can forget about the hardships of daily life. Seeing their happy faces charging around on a skateboard was very special. It is also a place where they get an education and get to mix with children of different ethnicities and classes, something the country as a whole needs to encourage if it is ever to get over years of social and ethnic conflict.
t21: What did you like most about Kabul?
OE: If there is one thing I took away from my time in Kabul it is that hope is still very much alive there. I spent 2 weeks being surrounded by children who had so much hope and ambition for their country. They are acutely aware of how far behind Afghanistan has been left by the rest of the world in the development stakes, and they really just want to put the war behind them and help rebuild their country. In the UK all we really see from Afghanistan are images of war and unhappiness, but I hope that our film goes some way towards showing that there is still some hope very much alive there.
t21: If I were not a filmmaker, I would be a _____?
OE: If I’m honest I can’t imagine doing anything else. However I guess I would probably be some sort of journalist / writer if I wasn’t making films.
t21: The biggest global problem today?
OE: I think climate change and environmental destruction are the greatest problems the world as a whole is facing.
t21: Favorite city or landmark?
OE: The highlands of Scotland.
t21: Favorite public figure?
OE: At this very moment in time it would be hard not to say Julian Assange.
t21: Last song that was stuck in your head?
OE: "Sala Keba" by Staff Benda Bilili.
t21: Last meal you made?
OE: If we forget about the rushed breakfast I just had of two bits of toast with peanut butter, it was delicious homemade pizzas I made for friends last week.
t21: Coffee, tea or water?
OE: A nice cup of English Breakfast tea…
t21: Boat, plane or train?
OE: Train.
t21: Latest obsession?
OE: Jive dancing.
t21: Source of inspiration?
OE: My friends and family.
t21: Personal motto?
OE: I’ve never really thought of myself as having a personal motto, but if I did have one it would involve some assemblage of words about staying positive through thick and thin and trying to be a decent human being.
t21: Whom would you love to work with?
OE: Nick Broomfield.
t21: Ten-year goal?
OE: If, over the next 10 years I’m continuing to spend most of my time working on projects like this, I’ll be a very happy man. </span></p>
t21: Your next or current project?
OE: We are halfway through an awesome film project following a group of underprivileged Nepali children preparing for the World Debate Championships, as well as an investigative film about forced marriages and the UK government’s specialist unit that rescues men and women who are victims of them (in Britain and abroad).
The E
conomist Film Project kicks off its collaboration with the PBS NEWSHOUR next week on Thursday, April 28th. Their opening slate of documentaries includes The Edge of Joy, Wagah, Last Train Home and Good Fortune. I spoke with Gideon Lichfield, the Editorial Director about his favorite film of 2010, justice in Mexico and the future of documentary film. Here are some excerpts from our conversation.
What role will The Economist Film Project play in this brave new media world?
I think that documentaries are going to continue being really important, and become more and more important because people are becoming more used to visual storytelling, and have less patience for text.
Do you think documentary filmmakers are taking on roles that mainstream journalists and media may no longer necessarily fill?
Not really. The role that journalists are vacating, I think, is the role of the staff correspondent who covers everything. Freelance journalists will continue to do the in-depth reporting. And I think there will be more philanthropic organizations that pay for journalistic projects, and that stuff will continue to go on. I think that documentary makers will continue to do more great stuff and if anything, expand.
What’s the main idea behind The Economist Film Project? Read the rest of this entry »
El Ambulante (The Peddler) is screening in SXSW’s SX Global program.
Daniel Burmeister is the peddler (el ambulante). With his old, red car that’s always on the verge of breaking down, the sixty-something travels rural Argentina from one village to the other and makes what he calls ‘handcrafted movies’. One village, one month, one movie – one man. The peddler is in charge of the entire production process, and his enthusiasm is infectious, his capacity to improvise enormous. Everyone can participate and in the end, there’s a big screening for the whole population. As compensation Burmeister, a self taught cineaste and a real jack of all trades, only asks for lodging and free meals during the time of his stay. Up to this day he has produced roughly seventy feature films, based on one of his own scripts, and he continues making cinema for the people.
El Ambulante observes Burmeister on the set in Benjamin Gould, a tiny village with 700 inhabitants in the province of Cordoba. A true valentine to the passion of filmmaking, El Ambulante is also the study of an idiosyncratic life style and a tender portrait of life in an Argentine village.
Julia Knobloch interviewed Director Eduardo de la Serna in New York after the screening at Documentary Fortnight 2011: MoMA’s International Festival of Nonfiction Film and Media.
How did you first connect with Daniel Burmeister?
In Argentina, we attended a film festival, Cine con Vecinos and there we first heard of a man who was traveling from one small town to the other, making movies. And we were really excited about this story and wrote him an email. He was immediately responsive and interested in collaborating. So we went to meet him in the village he was filming at then. At that point, we only had the idea, but no funds at all, we were about to present the project. And well, one year later we had the money, and were filming El Ambulante.
What attracted you most in the idea? Why did you want to make this film?
For a variety of reasons. In the first place, being a director myself, I was wondering how can this be – that there is one person with so many hats, basically doing everything himself, overseeing the whole process of making a movie: scriptwriting, pre-production, casting, camera, direction, edit and then he also screens the films, that was really calling my attention. Also, that he does it in such a short time frame – a long feature in only a month, and then he moves on! I was curious to see how this works, Read the rest of this entry »
