FilmAid launches four film camps to expand our reach to new communities.

MALI – ANIMATION TRAINING CAMP 
In collaboration with the production of TAANE, a feature-length comedy 

Camps training animators and producers are happening in conjunction with the production of a positive, empowering, funny feature film called TAANE. The film follows the whimsical modernity of a triple widow and entertains while sending a message that family and social governance are possible despite the burdens of traditions. The film camp will train 5 animators to produce the animated portions of the film. Taane is scheduled to be completed in 2022 and will air on national and international channels.   

TANZANIA – SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER CAMP  

With skills and mobile kits to become citizen journalists, FilmAid partnered with Internews Tanzania to work with citizen journalists in creating short films for social media like TikTok, Instagram and FB. Each journalist was given a small mobile media kit and learned about producing short videos for social media. Here is one short video from this camp by influencer and camp participant Martha Ngwada.   

ESTONIA – YOUTH FILM CAMP 

Internews’ program Supporting Independent Media in the Baltics Action (SIMBA) team is running a film camp at the Sillamäe Youth Center with support from FilmAid. The camp will run 2-3 weeks with a mix of on-site and online training culminating in completed documentary films. After the camp concludes, participants will receive follow-up mentoring sessions for two months to complete the films.   

GEORGIA – FILMMAKER CAMP 

FilmAid has partnered with the Georgian Insititute of Public Affairs and its Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management to conduct a week-long documentary filmmaking workshop for 12 participants. With the support from five mentors of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs' Docu Festival, the workshop produced six documentaries. The program finished with film screenings at the annual GIPA film festival in Tbilisi and alongside a pitch for additional funding. 

From a Kenyan Refugee Camp to a Canadian University – a Young Man Learns Filmmaking Skills that Help Him Forge a New Life

Nhial Deng is passionate about transforming life for young refugees like himself. He was born in Ethiopia in 1999 to parents who had fled the conflict in South Sudan.

As a young boy he developed an interest in journalism. “My dad had a small radio,” says Nhial. “And the other men from the neighborhood would join him to listen to news from South Sudan. I would be chased away as soon as the men came but I would go and hide behind the house and listen.”

The men would discuss the war in South Sudan and talk about other world issues.

“That inspired my passion in journalism, so I started imitating the news broadcaster, anytime they broadcast the news.”

From a very young age, Nhial developed an interest in journalism and was able to pursue that interest through FilmAid in Kakuma, Kenya.

FilmAid Opens a Door

When he was 11, Nhial’s village was stormed by armed militias and his father sent him to Kakuma, a refugee camp in Kenya. In Kakuma, Nhial continued his studies and started a high school journalism club. He discovered FilmAid, which provides young people in vulnerable communities with the skills and confidence they need to advocate and tell their own stories.

“We learned about the camera, we learned how to shoot, we learned how to write news stories, we learned how to push our stories,” Nhial said. “We learned also business and how to use our skills to earn a living.”

Nhial Deng, center, credits FilmAid with helping him on a journey to amplify the voices of
refugees and underserved communities. Photo Credit: Nhial Deng

Filmmaking with Purpose

Nhial is particularly proud of a story he and his fellow students worked on about a young Turkana girl named Nadikil. Nadikal wanted to become a doctor but was being forced by her parents to marry a wealthy man; her family needed the money to feed themselves.

“I decided to talk to the people in Nadikal’s community to understand their culture, so we don’t misrepresent them. We didn’t want to look at the father as ‘bad’ because he had factors that might influence his decision,” said Nhial. “I think it’s looking at how I can assure I’m not speaking for Nadikal’s community – I’m just trying to amplify their voices.”

Because of the story, a friend of Nadikal approached the local chief, who arrived in the middle of the wedding ceremony and stopped the event. The chief highlighted the importance of sending girls to school and noted that the Kenyan constitution prohibits early and forced marriages. This sparked both negative and positive reactions from the guests, but Nadikil’s parents listened to the chief and decided to send their daughter back to school.

A New Beginning for Nhial: University Abroad

To continue his education, Nhial set his sights high. Amid the difficulties and setbacks of navigating COVID-19 pandemic in a refugee camp, and despite unreliable internet access, he managed to complete applications and secured admission to his dream school – the highly competitive University of California at Berkeley.

He credits FilmAid with helping him on that journey. “I feel the FilmAid program built my self-confidence, it built how I do my advocacy by trying to make sure that I include the other voices of people that I talk to,” says Nhial. “It also helped me to by being able to engage in conversations intellectually by improving my communication skills.”

As he navigated the challenges of moving halfway around the world, paying for, and supporting himself in school in California, another opportunity emerged: Huron University in Canada offered him a full scholarship and living expenses. Nhial will enroll at Huron in the fall.

After university, Nhial plans to keep advocating for young refugees, who he says have huge untapped potential. “I want to make sure that I’m that person that fights to make sure our voices are on the table. We are not just on the receiving end [of aid] but also making sure we build things from the start.”

In Development: ‘Pandemic Generation’ Depicts Life under COVID-19

Inspired by real events, a 10-episode television series will tell intimate stories of the big and small battles with the COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan. The dramatic production reflects the personal experiences and turmoil of a disruptive, deadly year.

By depicting the personal growth of a diverse cast, the filmmakers provide relatable examples of perseverance and hope.

One episode depicts the events of 2020 through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl, Kunduz, subtly interweaving the global and local challenges of COVID-19 and her family’s migration status with her personal difficulties as she grows up through fear, anxiety, the desire to remain a child, and the need to make serious decisions.

Schoolgirl Aibike Zhanishbekova in the role of Kunduz

“This social drama invites the viewer to experience a transformation and feel the spectrum of emotions of children,” says project manager Zhanna Shegai.

About the production

The director of the series, Chyngyz Narynov, is the co-founder and director of Citylab Production Studio. He has directed and produced eight video and documentary films and more than 80 social videos and commercials, and has been a participant and winner of international film festivals such as IDFA, DokumentART, ArtDocFest, and Burbank IFF. His latest work – the film “After the Rain” (a co-production of Citylab Production Studio and Alya Production Coalition, USA) – was honored at the Boston Film Festival, where it won the prize for the best actor and received the Findlings Award from the Association of German Film Critics.

The director of photography, Akzhol Bekbolov, is a film director and producer, and director of the Kyrgyzfilm Studio. He has won multiple awards for his camera work, including the Grand Prix at international festivals in Istanbul and Tehran. He has also received the Arte Prize at the Dresden International Festival.

FilmAid and Internews are supporting the creation of this series as part of the Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS) under the USAID Integrated Health Systems IDIQ to counter widespread misinformation and prevent further surges of COVID-19.