FRIENDSHIP IN CHINA

China is undergoing huge economic and social changes. In material terms there have been impressive improvements in the standard of living over the past 30 years, yet there is a widening gap between rich and poor. Millions have been left unemployed. Some children particularly those from minority ethnic groups living in the west of the country can't get treatment when they're ill and don't go to school. There are problems with children affected by HIV and AIDS and a need to prevent deaths caused by water-borne diseases.

Hefei City, Anhui provence, China. An industrial town in the South East of China. Here I met a group of fairly intense young people who had taken time off from their studies to be involved in the 'what makes me happy' workshop. They fell into the discussions and tasks taking a serious viewpoint of what made them happy in their lives. The majority of their discussions revolved around school work. They all felt they worked too hard, but felt driven by their parents. The thought of not doing well at school and disappointing their parents was their highest priority, but they felt that because of this they lacked adequate time to play and enjoy their friends. Friendship was the most important thing, not surprising as they are all affected by the One Child Policy imposed in 1979. To spend time with their friends, or making friends was minimal and the children were unanimous in saying how sad this made them feel.
Consequently Junjie's Film is based on the desire of a child to make friends. One disabled youngster told how happy he had felt when he managed to make a boat out of old parts and we took this as the core of the story. We used this boy to make the boat that appears in the film.

 

This film was nominated by the Chicago International Children's Film Festival and won a 'special' award at the Ninghbo Children's Film Festival. It is at present being shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York

 

 

FAITH IN ETHIOPIA

 

 

One of the world's poorest countries, where people struggle for even the most basic of needs. When drought strikes, or war breaks out, they often lose everything they possess and if food supplies fail and food aid is not available, then hunger is inevitable.

We worked with a group of young people from a semi nomadic tribe just outside Jijiga and close to the Somali border. These children were so unused to tourists, that they initially ran away from us exclaiming that we looked like we had been 'peeled'. But within no time they were out in the desert playing and enjoying grandmother's footsteps and musical 'stones'!

 

 

I was energised by the tribe's elder being so enthused by the previous 'what makes me happy' films. The entire village crammed into the small school hut and he watched the films alongside the children. He smiled at the similarities and was amazed at the different lifestyles compared to his own and afterwards came to shake my hand and exclaim "were we really going to make a film about the children from his tribe, for the world to see?" He couldn't speak English and he spoke through an interpreter, but I could tell by his eyes that he really understood and appreciated the message of the films.
I will never forget his smile of pride for his way of life, for his customs and for his village. But it was also his honesty and freedom of faith that I took away with me.

Here was a group of children who believed that they could cure a sick camel by singing. They had faith.

This film was nominated for the Chicago International Film Festival and is being shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York

 

 

 

FUN IN NEPAL

Children in Nepal have been affected by political violence, which has exacerbated poverty and displaced entire communities. This conflict has shattered Nepal's fragile economy, leaving already poor families with even bleaker opportunities for a decent livelihood. Children have become highly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, family separation, recruitment for conflict-related purposes and illegal detention. This is in addition to Nepal's long history of caste discrimination and social marginalization that causes immense disparities within society.

Amongst the poverty, malnourishment, disease, lack of schooling and lack of medicine, I discovered a group of children who would eventually introduce me to their world and ultimately to find that moment of 'fun' within their lives. It was here that I first discovered the importance and meaning of children being recognised, respected and valued within a community. How often, we in England, dismiss our children wanting to help us with our work, by the simple phrase, go away I'm busy. What I found in this small mountain village just outside Pokhara on the foothills of Mount Everist, in Nepal, was a community that valued and needed their children to help them survive. This in turn gave the children a feeling of confidence and responsibility. Obviously, too much hard work eventually can cause a negative influence, but these children had a value and values of life that were unique to me.

In our workshop a group of young teenagers, studying filming, talked about the things in life that meant the most to them…. A good family, food, and respect. One boy in particular talked about the day when he first realized that his father really cared and loved him and it was on this day that we based our programme. A story about a group of children who take their buffalo(the storage of a family's wealth) for its daily river wash. A group of children who need to walk for hours to do this necessary job. Not just occasionally, but every day, they leave their community, their security hours behind them. A group of children who return home late one day as they had been distracted, like all children, by having 'fun' and are met by their grandfather who is concerned.

These children work hard, but they also find time to play, to have fun. They have the community safety and friendship but they also have freedom and honesty that is unique.

During the research I met a group of boys along the mountain path… we could not communicate…but they sang a song for me. They had no reserve, they just wanted to please and before we parted they presented me with a posy of flowers. They have a hard life, but they found the time for fun…a lesson in itself. I enjoyed their laughter, I enjoyed their honesty and I enjoyed their Fun

The children from the workshop accompanied us when we shot the film and learnt about film making from a professional crew. They were extremely valuable members of the team. The two girls were enthused by the whole process and were determined to follow a career in film making. In Nepal very few women look forward to making a career and I felt that may be I had been integral to their future, and that one day I would see their names on the screen!

 

HOPE IN SRI LANKA

On December 26th 2004 an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a massive tsunami that left nearly 230,000 people dead or missing and another 2 million homeless. Thousands of children and their families have been left to recover from this tragedy that disrupted the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. Compounding this crisis was the 20-year conflict that had created emergency conditions for children long before the waves struck.

The children filled the workshop with their ideas and thoughts and laughter. One year after the Tsunami and these children were doing their utmost to move on. Only days previously I met one or two elderly people along the sea shore, still in a state of shock and despair over their loss…the loss of family, home, dignity, work and most of all their loss of a future. But here in the workshop the children had energy, hope and never ending ideas and thoughts for their story, their film. The energy they put into their ideas, they also put into their play and I was amazed at the enjoyment, the high level of laughter and their companionship. These children it seemed to me were building their future on the strength of their friends. They had all lost someone who was close to them, they had all suffered terribly, and as a result their community and their friends had become their most valuable asset. Here was a community in the village of Matara, where adults were still in a state of shock, unable to forget the horror, but where children were now holding the reins of the future. Many had lost so much in the tsunami, but they were now holding tightly onto the strength of friendship. They seemed to sub consciously realize that together they could pull through. Through loss they understood what was important in life and the necessity of pulling together. Through their eyes, through their energy, we created the story of the re-building of a kite, the need for everyone's input, everyone's skill and for the final flight everyone's positive spirit and energy to send it on its way over the sea and towards the sky as a symbol of a positive future for Sri Lanka.

Ragdoll donated Matara the money to buy land to build a new community hall. I am still in contact with the village and plan to send Ragdoll's ex computers for use in the local school.

 

I returned a year later with the final version of the film that was viewed on a huge screen in the centre of the village. Everyone gathered together with the village children sitting on the prime seats at the front, eating refreshments, and everyone else jostling for best viewing positions around the side. A cinema viewing at the main crossroads of a village plundered by the Tsunami, was a heart wrenching moment for me. The smiling faces of adults and children alike as they watched their film was a moment not to be forgotten, but to also watch their faces in the dark night, to hear their laughter and enjoyment of the whole series, made me realize the strength of the human being and the knowledge that we all, no matter where we are, must recognise and respect the pull of the FUTURE

 

FULFILMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

 

 

Cowgate Estate, Newcastle upon Tyne, a soulless, boring monotonous housing estate with endless streets each sacrificing their own identity to each other. All the pubs here are boarded up and have been permanently closed due to the problems of after hours drink fuelled conflicts. Although every house carries the prestigious dish of satellite television, although most gardens sport the latest bikes, scooters, trucks and games: poverty, misery, pressure, unemployment lurk behind every net covered window.

My first greeting was a hail of stones thrown at me by suspicious kids across the road. They watched me as I knocked on a door that looked as if it had been broken down too many times. There was an eerie silence that makes you only too aware that you are being watched. I didn't feel it would be possible to film on this estate, there was too much hostility towards us and what is more there was nothing of scenic value for a film.
The workshop for 'what makes me happy' was poorly attended and the concentration levels were low, the interest at this point was probably even lower. All the young people wanted to do was talk about who it was they were going to marry, what girl or boy they fancied. It was as if every element of their life was focussed on 'love' even though I doubt there was one of them that came form the stereotypical family with a father and mother. Love? Who knows, but there was a strong feeling that these kids wanted to be noticed, wanted to gain respect and wanted to build relationships.

So, we had to succeed.

Once I had informed the estate that I was making a positive film about the children living there, it was amazing how quickly the atmosphere changed. We held a party at the local school for children interested in participating and notices to inform the parents and ask for their support. They were so pleased that someone wanted to show the 'positive' side to their community, they are after all, proud of their lifestyle, their friendship and their children. They came up trumps and during the following weeks, we were offered more tea than we could drink. I adopted a young man, jobless, within the estate to be my assistant to help by liaising within the area and to learn about filming. By occupying his time and giving him a job I hoped that ultimately he would have something for his c.v. and more importantly that the final film would give him a feeling of fulfilment.
Talking to kids, their parents, teachers and siblings, we pieced together a story. A story about infatuation, honesty, of a boy admiring a girl and indeed of fulfilment. Each child wanted to feel as if they could accomplish a task and that they were recognised for this accomplishment. So, here, in the Cowgate Estate, I found the meaning of 'Fulfillment' and a story within the back alleyways that shows that life is not all what it seems.

The premiere of the film shown at the local cinema was a great success. Bus loads of children were brought into town on double decker buses, each sporting 'what makes me happy' posters on the windows.

 

Supplied with drink and popcorn, the youngsters of the Cowgate Estate politely stayed off the red carpet until we pointed out that this was their day and the red carpet was for them to walk on!

 

 

THE FAMILY IN PALESTINE

The occupied Palestinian territory has been a bleak scene of conflict for over 50 years. In the course of this conflict, many Palestinians were displaced from what is now Israel, creating the world's largest refugee population. 56 per cent of the total population are children.

 

"There is nothing in our life that makes us happy" was the reply to our question 'what makes you happy' in our workshop with young Palestinians in Bethlehem. We had gathered together a group of 13 or 14 young people from all over Palestine. They had crossed checkpoints into areas previously they would have been unable to visit and had dialogue with young people they would never normally have met. Over the three days we were together, it seemed to me that they had an over riding feeling of guilt if they felt happy. Their entire families and extended families were tied up with the conflict, many having been displaced, lost their jobs, income, family members and their hope for the future. To be happy within this environment was a crime and a traitor ship in itself. But this group of youngsters had a lot to say and participated in every area with enthusiasm and energy, in their drawings, role play and discussions. They talked about how they were always surrounded with family members, and found it difficult to find a place and the space to be on their own - in complete contrast, I told them, with the children in China who pursued friendship and companionship at all times. Their drawings were explicit in themselves, many showing green fields, trees and flowers, all representing 'freedom'

 

The story formed easily and as the young people parted company sadly, exchanging e-mails and hugs and kisses, they admitted, that 'Yes" we were right, there were moments in their life that made them happy. For a brief time, to allow these youngsters to be happy, free of guilt, free for a while from the crisis, had given them just a couple of days to be 'children'.

The film was shot by a group of young people from Pyalara (Palestinian Youth Assocation for Leadership and Rights fActivation). Pyalara is a communication and media-oriented Palestinian NGO established for Palestinian youth. One of its main objectives is to prevent young Palestinians from becoming frustrated as a result of the harsh conditions under which they are forced to live. They present and produce a weekly young persons programme called 'Alli Sowtak" which means Speak Out, but up until this point they had no experience in directing/producing a children's drama.

Mahmoud's film won the Golden Butterfly Award in Iran and was also winner of the Golden Statue at the Roshd film festival in Iran.

Annie Gibbs