Film and Video

EXPERIENCES

1. Wills & Inheritance Laws Programme - Zimbabwe

Women learn about the Zimbabwean Wills and Inheritance laws through the use of video, support materials and discussion. Screenings are combined with lecture and discussions to give women knowledge and details about laws that protect them in the case of the death of their spouse.
Contact Charity Maruta cmaruta@mango.zw

OR ivf@mango.zw

2. 3 Continents Film Festival - Africa, Asia, Latin America

The Festival showcases political cinema from Africa, Latin America and Asia. It aims to use the medium of film and video to highlight issues of democratisation and human rights while also raising awareness around HIV/AIDS, gender issues, economic justice and environmental sustainability.

3. Bringing Film to Refugees - Kenya

Feature films and short educational films are presented to refugees in the Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya. Most features are African-made and deal with topics relevant to refugees, such as teen pregnancy and African history. The project also puts video cameras into the hands of the refugee youth themselves, enabling them to tell their own stories.

Contact Filmaid filmaid@theirc.org

4. Scenarios from Africa - Africa

This community mobilisation, education, and media project is designed to give children and young adults an opportunity to educate themselves and others about HIV/AIDS by inviting them to participate in a contest involving the production of short fiction films. The films are based on ideas put forward by young people in a contest open to individuals or teams of young Africans under the age of 25.

5. Shocking the Nation to Action - Zambia

Film is combined with discussions, debates, outreach, and support activities to create an interactive programme to address issues of children and youth, such as child labour, health, and rights, and to provide an o
pportunity for young people to speak out. A video was made to explore the issues, which included interviews with young sex workers, brothel owners, field workers and support service providers. Stakeholders were invited to view a screening at the city council chambers, which was also filmed.

6. Steps for the Future Video Collection - Southern Africa

The Steps for the Future video collection is a collection of films from seven different Southern African countries that highlight "positive, provocative, humourous, brave and unusual stories about how individuals are confronting their lives and how societies are having to change under the impact of HIV/AIDS." A supporting Facilitators’ Guide was also developed.
Contact Don Edkins don@dayzero.co.za

OR Likka Vehkalahti iikka.vehkalahti@yle.fi

7. Projet Video Sabou et Nafa - Guinea

Puts production skills and equipment into the hands of community members, who then create local-language videotapes that reflect local concerns. Team-facilitated video "playbacks" spark dialogue about health, rights, responsibility, and the potential for change.
Contact Sara Stuart sbs@C4C.org

OR Lauren Goodsmith lauren_goodsmith@hotmail.com

EDUTAINMENT

8. Sex, AIDS & Videotape: Video as a Tool in Informing About HIV/AIDS Among Young People in Rural Mozambique

By Törja Ngenge

This study aims to explore if and how video can be used as a means of conveying information and encouraging debate about HIV/AIDS, sexual health and related issues such as teenage pregnancy and gender questions. The study explores HIV/AIDS and the use of video in general. It then goes on to examine the use of edutainment videos to convey social messages.

9. Communicating AIDS prevention through entertainment-education: A case study based on the film Amah Djah-foule

By Annica Widmark

The author uses the Ivorian film Amah Djah-foule as a case study to focus on examining the messages of entertainment-education projects. The film aims to educate female sex workers about STI’s and HIV/AIDS.

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Please forward information about your programme experiences, materials, strategic thinking, and events to Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com

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STRATEGIC THINKING

10. Whose Media? Action Research for Participatory Representation: Some Thoughts on Work in Progress

By Su Braden

This paper reports on a research project being conducted by Act!onAid in Malawi and Sierra Leone to examine ways that local communities can be enabled to negotiate, manage and monitor their own development through the use of video. It explores the experience of using participatory video among largely illiterate populations.

11. Participatory Use of Video: A Case Study of Community Involvement in Story Construction

By Kole Ade Odutola

This paper uses Oxfam's participatory video project in Nairobi to examine how participatory video is used in communities.

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CANNES 2004 - Calling South African Filmakers
South Africa's presence at Cannes 2004 is part of the governments programme to celebrate South Africa's ten years of democracy. A one minute film by a young South African filmmaker will be screened with the theme "South Africa: From Apartheid to Democracy." The closing date for entries is 6 February 2004. There will also be a South African film retrospective. All filmmakers should submit short and feature films that they would like to be considered. Please send all applications and queries to media@nfvf.co.za

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MATERIALS

12. African Film and Video Catalog from Media For Development International (MFDI)

MFDI produces and distributes African dramatic social-message films (Edu-tainment or Enter-educate) for African audiences on issues such as AIDS, teenage sexuality, teenage pregnancy, women's issues and general health. These videos are available in English and many are in French, Swahili, Portuguese, Luganda, Ndebele, Shona and Zulu.

13. Acacia: Disseminating the Fruits [video]

The series of videos examines how communities are learning to use information and communications technologies (ICTs) to empower social and economic development. The videos provide insight into a number of International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Acacia Programme projects in South Africa. The series aims to provide a visual vehicle for the project beneficiaries and participants to tell of their experiences, to reflect on the challenges and lessons learned, and to assess the future possibilities for the use of ICT in community projects.

14. State of Denial: A Documentary Film [film]

State of Denial aims to reveal the human experience behind the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The film takes viewers into the lives of six people struggling to survive with HIV in the face of "social stigma, a severe lack of access to lifesaving treatment..." The film includes in-depth interviews and conversations with people living with HIV/AIDS, politicians, health care professionals, and activists.

15. Questions & Answers about Participatory Video

By Lars Johansson, Verena Knippel, Dominick de Waal and Farida Nyamachumbe

This is a publication about the most common questions received, both from development workers who are interested in introducing video in their projects, and people who are curious about participatory video (PV) and TV in the context of urban and rural development.

LINKS

16. Southern Africa Communications for Development (SACOD)

- promotes production and distribution of issue oriented videos and films in Southern Africa.

17. Film Resource Unit (FRU) website

- a distributor of African audio visual and socially relevant documentary material.

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The Soul Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

Please send material for The Soul Beat to the Editor - Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com