In May 2013 we are touring Papuan Voices to Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle. Come along and spread the word to your friends! If you are interested in hosting a screening, please contact us.

For more details visit the tour page at papuanvoices.net/oztour

1. Tell us who you are as a filmmaker.

I am more of an activist filmmaker than a commercial filmmaker - I feel the subject, the issues deep inside the heart before making an effort to create a film or video.

2. Why did you decide to work with the moving image?

Video is the best tool for showing evidence of what really happened in any situation. No one can deny or manipulate the issue or the incident once it is recorded in a genuine way.

3. What radicalised you as a filmmaker? Did it happen in the moment, or was it a process?

I became a filmmaker not by choice but by chance - I participated in many street demonstrations and protests to fight against injustices and to give a voice to the voiceless, but without a medium such as video I couldn't explain a lot of the incidents because I am not a good writer.

I created a blog and updated it frequently from the scene where marginalised people were being bullied. I took photos and videos from my mobile phone to show this. Later, I attended the Citizen Journalism training by the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) and progressed from there.

4. As a videomaker, what are the challenges of working in Malaysia? What are the restictive laws?

A general challenge is that journalists and videomakers do not have immunity or security in this country. If the authorities feel that it is not safe for us to film something, they will go all out to stop you from filming. Arresting us for no reason is a way for them to stop us, especially in the street demonstrations where the police brutality can be seen in an open space.

5. What are the main issues you address in your video work?

The issues that I have highlighted in my videos all relate to human rights: poor and marginalised society, the transgender plights, demolishing the poor heritage villages, estate-worker issues, the promises made by some politicians and the disappointment they engender.

6. Tell us about your favourite piece of video you have made, in regards to social justice or the environment.

I did a video called GATCO - 33 Years of Dreams Shattered, on the plight of estate workers in Negeri Sembilan (which is a 2 hour drive from Kuala Lumpur). The victims are poor Indian estate workers who have been working on a piece of land for more than 36 years, believing that they will own the land one day. However, to their dismay, the land was recently bought by a private company through an auction. State and federal governments failed to help them despite making past promises of help, during elections, in order to win their votes.

7. How do you think online distribution is changing the field of independent video making? How do you use online tools in your work?

Let's compare it with several years ago when the internet was not widespread in Malaysia. People believed what they saw in the mainstream media - for them that was news and that was the most trustworthy medium - but now it has changed.

People realise that mainstream media is merely a tool of the political party that governs the nation. People tend to compare the news in the mainstream media with online media, which is also known as alternative media. They know that not everything that is shown in the mainstream media is accurate. We have many tools, sites and online platforms to share, spread and distribute the videos that we make.

EngageMedia, YouTube, Free Malaysia Today, Papuan Voices and Komas are some of the platforms available to highlight our issues as an independent filmmaker. If a video is made in any foreign languages or dialects, tools such as Universal Subtitles help to spread the message. Anyone in the network can contribute the subtitles, which helps further distribution of the issues.

8. Tell us more about the role of video in this coming elections, and how film/videomakers can contribute to this democratic process?

As a filmmaker for Free Malaysia Today, I have the advantage of publishing videos of interviews, speeches and peoples' opinions from both parties; the ruling government party and the opposition party, together with the independent candidate. These kinds of videos cannot be seen in any mainstream media.

We are giving a clear picture of the political scenario in Malaysia for people to evaluate the political parties' genuineness, sincerity, contribution and manipulations. We are fair in reporting both angles, although sometimes we lean more towards the opposition activities to balance their limitations in mainstream media coverage.

Links

• GATCO - 33 Years of Dreams Shattered
• Bersih 3.0 - Breaking the Barricade
• Uthaya: Don't Vote for Barisan National
• EngageMedia Now in Malaysia
• Freedom Arts Festival 2012
• High Court Declares Bersih Legal
• Waytha Files Report Over Travel Ban
• Konsert Bersih 2.0
• Indian Story: Hindus And Muslims

If you know of any interesting filmmakers around Asia Pacific that you'd like to see featured on EngageMedia.org, write to us today!

Position Aims

• increase the skills of advocates in video production, outreach, engagement and security so that they can effectively tell their stories
• increase the exposure of human rights and environmental issues in remote communities in Indonesia to national and and international audiences, linking content strategically to campaign and media organisations
• improve the networks and relationships of video activists in remote regions in Indonesia, increasing access to opportunities

Responsibilities

Project Management and Facilitation

• Facilitating trainings
• Develop and monitor project plans for all activities
• Coordinate workshops in video production, distribution, outreach and security
• Oversee logistics and curriculum development for each training
• Implement strategic distribution and communications plans
• Develop advisory groups and run focus group discussions

Production and Curation

• Assist in the production of content compilations, including DVDs
• Overseeing the production of screening and education packages (eg. http://papuanvoices.net)
• Coordinate media coverage of key events in remote regions of Indonesia, reaching out to media organisations to ensure promotion
• Assist in or coordinate subtitling and translation of videos

Outreach

• Develop strategic partnerships with web-based news sites, media outlets, film festivals, campaign groups, etc. within Southeast Asia to ensure the usage of EngageMedia.org content
• Coordinate local and international screenings
• Attend film festivals, activist convergences and other events to gather content, network, raise the profile of and present the work of EngageMedia
• Contribute to EngageMedia's promotion and develop and enact ideas for audience building
• Blog monthly about your work with EngageMedia

Work experience, required skills and selection criteria

• A commitment to social justice and environmental issues
• Excellent Project management and leadership skills including evidence of bringing projects to successful completion
• Excellent English and Bahasa Indonesia communications abilities
• At least 5 years experience in a related field
• Ability to work across cultures
• Experience working with online media initiatives
• Excellent time management skills
• Computing skills – familiarity office and video software
• Event management skills
• Experience working with communities in remote regions

Location, Remuneration and Expectations

• Highly competitive international NGO salary
• This a contract position, as such no allowance is made for sick leave, or holiday pay. Rates are calculated higher to adjust for the lack of these benefits.
• 12 month initial contract
• The position includes a monthly communications allowance and travel insurance.
• The position is based out of EngageMedia's Jakarta office
• Start date is mid to late June.
• Extensive and regular travel is required, predominantly within Indonesia

How to Apply

In writing:

• describe your interest in the position and why you would want to work with EngageMedia; (Max 500 words)
• respond concisely, but briefly, to each of the selection criteria;

• append your CV and the names and contacts of two referees.

Email your application with the subject “Project Manager” by midnight, Jakarta time, May 31, 2013 to jobs@engagemedia.org.

Alll applicants must send their applications attached as PDF or .RTF (rich text format) files.

Only short-listed applicants will be notified.

Any questions about the position, please email us at jobs@engagemedia.org.

About EngageMedia

EngageMedia uses the power of video, the internet and free software technologies to create social and environmental change. We believe independent media and free and open technologies are fundamental to building the movements needed to challenge social injustice and environmental damage, as well as to provide and present solutions.

EngageMedia works with independent filmmakers, video activists, technologists, campaigners and social movements to generate wider audiences for their vital messages and move people to action.

Intrigue, romance and revolution all come together in HRAFF’s hotly anticipated Opening Night film, Alias Ruby Blade.  This action-packed documentary chronicles the tumultuous birth of a new nation in East Timor and the remarkable relationship between, Kirsty Sword, a young Australian activist, and the incarcerated enigmatic leader of the Timorese resistance in Jakarta, Kay Rala "Xanana" Gusmão.

Alias Ruby Blade captures their incredible story and demonstrates the astonishing power of individuals to change the course of history. The Opening Night is proudly presented by Australian Ethical Super and will be followed by a Q&A with Kirsty Sword Gusmão, the films director Alex Meillier , producer Tanya Meillier – the conversation will be facilitated by highly acclaimed Australian director Robert Connolly.

Closing the Festival is the inspirational documentary In the Shadow of the Sun which looks at the harrowing reality of ritual Albino killings in Tanzania.  Albinos in Tanzania are traditionally perceived as mythical beings: ghosts who cannot die; the embodiment of a family curse. In 2007, after a wave of albino murders, a disturbing myth is exposed: witch doctors claiming the limbs of albinos will bring wealth and good fortune.  For Josephat Torner, an albino himself, the only choice is to take action.

Shot over six years, In the Shadow of the Sun is the story of a man who stands up to persecution, putting his life on the line to change the world in which he lives. The film will be followed by a Q&A with director Harry Freeland and documentary subject Josephat Torner. Facilitated by award winning journalist Jo Chandler.

"This year, more than ever, we are re-framing how you see human rights on screen. With a beautiful children’s film from French master animators, a radical Filipino shockumentary, to the Australian premiere of the new work

by acclaimed New York filmmaker Jonathan Caouette, this program will surprise and intrigue you”, said HRAFF Director Ella McNeill.

Brand new to the 2013 program is CineSeeds — an inspiring and educational event for young people and their parents alike.  CineSeeds will showcase the magical 2D animation film, Zafara, which explores themes of loyalty, love and freedom and was inspired by the true story of the first giraffe to arrive in France.

Other highlights of the HRAFF program include:

Winner of the 2013 Grand Jury Award at SXSW, Ben Nabor’s fascinating documentary William and the Windmill which follows a young Malawian, William Kamkwamba, who becomes an international sensation after building a windmill from junk parts to generate electricity to rescue his village. With this newfound fame comes complexities – this documentary follows William’s struggle to fulfil expectations and simultaneously follow his own dreams.

New York-based director Ben Nabor will be a guest of the Festival, the film screening will be followed by a Q&A.

Fascinating and confronting exhibition Requiem curated by renowned photographer, Tim Page. The free photographic exhibition at the Yarra Gallery, Federation Square, will display a selection of photos taken by Cambodian and foreign photographers who were killed or went missing during the Cambodian civil war.

Don’t miss a story about brotherhood and belonging in My Brother the Devil, a slick and energetic portrayal of migrant youth pushed to the fringe; and Ombline, the masterful debut by French writer-director Stéphane Cazes, in which audiences are taken to the darkest corners of prison life as a young mother struggles to raise her child behind bars.

This year, HRAFF has curated its film, forum and art program according to interesting and thought provoking themes, see attached release for more information on each section.

MELBOURNE LISTING DETAILS

WHAT: The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival

WHEN: Thursday 9 – Thursday 23 May 2013

WHERE: ACMI Cinema's, Yarra Gallery Federation Square, The Dax Centre, The Ownership Project, Bella Union and RMIT Link Arts and Culture space

MORE INFO: www.hraff.org.au

TICKETS ON SALE NOW through ACMI http://www.acmi.net.au/hraff-2013.aspx

NATIONAL TOUR DATES: SYDNEY:  28 – 30 May 2013, ALICE SPRINGS:  31 May – 2 June 2013, CANBERRA:  3 – 5 June 2013, BRISBANE:  4 – 6 June 2013, PERTH:  4 – 6 June 2013

As EngageMedia's newest staff member, I am responsible for regional program management, team development, partnership development and human resources. My role is to monitor all Southeast Asia based projects and ensuring that all programs meet their respective milestones, deadlines, and goals.

Before joining EngageMedia, I was working with some National and International NGOs in Indonesia, doing advocacy, research, and management work. My 15 years of experience with NGOs like WALHI, INSIST, Plan International, and UN-OCHA, gives me a rich understanding on the issues on gender, human rights, interfaith dialouge, the environment, and community empowerment.

My academic background in Studies in Communications and Media led me to work in some media projects, such as  participatory video for children in disaster affected areas, producing a video for a HIV/AIDS campaign, and another a series of videos on the Merapi Volcanic Disaster Risk Reduction campaign.

Joining EngageMedia gives me a chance to learn more about how we can help activists to “talk to the world” and provide more spaces for them to share ideas with wider communities. I'm glad to be part of an active and dynamic team, and look forward to our time working together.

Hendriati Trianita
Program and Operations Manager

The FGD was a discussion to gain an understanding of the MRS issues in detail, and to get input from advocacy groups and members of the migrant worker community themselves to give us first-hand information on the respective situations they face in the course of their work. It was also to platform to discuss how this project is going to be implemented.

A total of 9 participants were present for the meeting, representing organisations such as CJMY, Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Serikat Tenaga Kerja Migran Indonesia, Tenaganita, Building Workers International (BWI), and Pusat Komas.

The discussion focused on the issues faced by migrant workers in Malaysia, such as complications surrounding permits, insurance, levies, and the 6P Program. Sharing also took place on the possibilities and challenges which would be faced in this project, including the safety of the migrant workers participating in it.

With all the input we gathered, we will move to the second stage of the project which involves selecting the participants, strategizing the implementation of the project, and designing the workshop modules.

The first workshop is set to be held in the beginning of May 2013, for which we are looking for about 18 participants, representing the migrant community, citizen journalists, and migrant advocacy groups.

Why did you decide to work with the moving image?

I love telling stories, especially those that needed to be told. People can tell their tales through different mediums.

I studied Performance Design & Practice at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. A very conceptual-based course, where we explore different ways to stimulate the audience through different practices. I chose to use more video work to tell my stories so my pieces would be projected directly to the eyes of the audience, not just through stage, but also digitally.

What are the main issues you address in your video work?

It breaks my heart, when I see, in every corner, these poor neglected street dogs. As you may know by now, I’m a huge dog lover and, coming from London where mistreating animals are punishable by hefty fines and imprisonment, I’m always shocked and appalled by the situation.

Bali Animal Welfare Association is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of animals on the island. BAWA’s mission is to relieve suffering and overpopulation by providing medical care, street feeding and adoption.

After learning a lot about BAWA, I decided to offer my services by making short documentaries about the organisation and their programs. To help spread the good name of BAWA and their hard work and also to educate the audience.

Please donate what you can to this wonderful organisation at www.bawabali.com.

How many videos have you produced?

I have produced a few documentaries, and a string of music videos. I’m looking to add more documentaries to my portfolio during this year in Indonesia.

How do you use online tools in your work?

People would agree that marketing is where the art is. You should always take advantage of what is in front of your computer screen, because most people are now too lazy to go out and look for stimulation.

In the past 10 years, social networks are where you get your customers and your target audience. I do what I think a lot of filmmakers would do: when I finish a video, I upload it to YouTube or Vimeo and completely spam Facebook and Twitter. You’d be surprised by how a couple of hours of pestering your friends would do wonders for your view counts.

Tell us more about Carrying On: Adhe's Story. What does it feel like working on a personal story close to home?

In March 2010, my brother Adhe was attacked by an opposing school rugby team during a match in Singapore. During this attack, Adhe tore his carotid artery, which then caused a blood clot, in turn causing him to have a stroke. Adhe was only 17 years old. This attack was then covered up as an accident but, in my heart of hearts, I knew this was deliberate. That day changed our lives forever.

Carrying On: Adhe's Story was set on his 18^th birthday, a year and six months after the incident. To see him competing in a charity bicycle race, after seeing him in a coma in an ICU, was truly the proudest moment. Sheer dedication, hard work and a dash of divine intervention were something I wanted to show. Adhe and his story have been, and always will be, a true inspiration for me.

What's the difference between shooting in Indonesia and the UK?

For one, the costs! I directed a music video for a metal band in March in Indonesia, where we rented one HMI, three red heads, one diva lite, a track dolly, smoke machine and the location for around £100. In the UK ... I won’t even bother telling you, because that’s how expensive it is.

Also, after being born and raised in London, I needed a change of lifestyle and I needed inspiration.

London is an amazing city, but you just need to step out of your comfort zone to find something even more amazing. Ever since I’ve been in Indonesia, the stories I hear about the people, the culture, the taboos, the tradition and the food has been nothing but an eye-opener - something I was looking for, when I was in London. It has been a culture shock, I’m just glad I got it all on video.

What impact do you think you have made with your videos?

I would like to think I have made a positive impact. Not just on my critics and my audience, but also more on the people I film in my documentaries. I hear their stories, I feel their struggle and it’s my job to help them tell their tales, and hopefully make a difference to their world.

I realised that money is not the only thing in the world that’s important to me, although it would be nice to get paid for telling stories.

Links

• Carrying On: Adhe's Story
• A Helping ...
• Vitiliego
• Gamelan: Sounds of Bali
• Adithio's YouTube Channel
• Adithio's EngageMedia page

If you know of any interesting filmmakers around Asia Pacific that you'd like to see featured on EngageMedia.org, write to us today!

Name: Ho Choon Hiong
Age: 37
Location: Singapore
Current activity: TV Producer

Links

• Singaporeans Arrested for Protest in Support of Burmese Activists
• Burmese Say NO
• Remembering Singapore's ISA Victims
• Video of 5 Day Fast Protesting Detention of HINDRAF 5
• In Memory of JBJ
• Ho Choon Hiong's YouTube Channel

If you know of any interesting filmmakers around Asia Pacific that you'd like to see featured on EngageMedia.org, write to us today!

The Brazilian born International Uranium Film Festival had great success in India. Between January 4th and February 12th the Uranium Film Festival travelled with more than 40 selected films through India from North to South and from East to West. The festival was guest in 10 cities: New Delhi, Shillong, Ranchi, Manipal, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Thrissur and lastly in Mumbai.

All together the festival reached an audience of about 5000 spectators during the screenings. In addition the festival could attract many opinion & decision makers and journalists, producing articles and reports about the festival and its films in English, Hindi and in other local languages. Dozens of articles, interviews and reports were published in quality newspapers like "The Times of India", "The Hindu", "The Eastern Chronicle" and the "Deccan Herald" and in local TV and radio stations.

The festival was held in famous auditoriums and theatres like the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi and the Bal Gandharv Rang Madir Theatre in Pune. And beside of that special screenings happened in important Universities and Colleges like the Manipal University and the Institute of Communication and the Manipal Film Study Centre, the University of Hyderabad, the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communications, the Indira School of Communication (WAKAD) and Mandal´s College of Engineering (MMCOE) in Pune and the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai.

A very special event was the opening night of the Uranium Film Festival in Hyderabad. An open-air show at the Golden Threshold, Nampally, with famous Indian film actress Amala Akkineni as special guest speaker. We opened the festival with the end of the nuclear fuel chain, the nuclear waste question, "Into Eternity" by Michael Madsen. Amala Akkineni was impressed: "I was blown away with the first film", she said, "We city actors have every intention of supporting important things like this , but always seem to be in a squeeze for time. It was an honor to be there to voice my support and you can count on me anytime."

"The travelling uranium film festival in India was an extremely hard work without any break and we had only a few weeks for the planning after the festival in Berlin. But we achieved our goals. That is what counts", says festival general director Norbert G. Suchanek who is now back in Rio de Janeiro together with Co-director Marcia Gomes de Oliveira to organize the Third International Uranium Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro, that will be held in the Cinema of Rio de Janeiro's famous Museum of Modern Art (MAM), from 16th May to 26th May 2013. Parallel to the film festival is also planned an photo exhibition about uranium mining in India (Jaduguda) and an international round table about uranium mining.

The Uranium Film Festival organizers thanks the Government of India for the allowance to bring this important festival to India, and the Heinrich Boell Foundation Brasil, Rio de Janeiro's technical school Adolpho Bloch for Film, TV and Event, the FAETEC and the Fund the Global Green Funds and the Siemenpuu Foundation for supporting the festival. Further thanks go to the local partners, the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival and Lokayat in Pune, the Suchitra Film Society in Bangalore, the Chennai Solidarity Group for Koodankulam Struggle, the ViBGYOR International Film Festival of Thrissur, the 7-Islands International Film Festival and the Bhavan´s Cultural Centre in Mumbai.

If you read carefully all those dozens of articles and interviews published in India in January and February about the Travelling Uranium Film Festival and its films you will see the importance of the festival to create awareness and to open doors, that were closed for years. The published articles also provocated positive comments by the readers. Here are 3examples:

"These thought-provoking films is bound to elicit positive action for a greener world."

"This invigorating fest is food for the social change."

"Just back from this festival. It was one of the best way spend one's weekend. Movies were educative and thought provoking. Gogi is ticking uranium bomb right in our state. There is a massive need to generating a public opinion on this issue. Action is needed before its too late. Need to stop the uranium mining in this place."

In addition read here some excerpts of the articles:

"Recognizing the vital need of the hour - to embellish the world with green thoughts and practices, the International Uranium Festival, locally hosted by the Suchitra Film Society, is a dedication to films that address the underlying nuances, which define the nuclear chain... These films, seek to diagnose the global take towards the nuclear chain. As the note says: 'Some governments like in Brazil or India are investing in new nuclear power plants. Independent information is the base for independent decisions. The festival stimulates the discussion about the nuclear question and stimulates the production of new documentaries, movies and animated films about any nuclear or radioactive issue. In addition the Uranium Film Festival creates a neutral space to throw light on all nuclear issues societies and peoples have the right of choice if they want to follow the nuclear road or not'."

The Times of India, "International uranium film festival for film buffs", by Nirmala Govindarajan, Feb 3, 2013, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-03/bangalore/36721161_1_nuclear-power-plants-international-uranium-film-nuclear-medicine

"For most of us, problems with electricity involve a few hours of inconvenient power cuts, and a delay in completing the day’s tasks efficiently. But the consequences of its production are rarely explored. The Travelling International Uranium Film Festival India, held recently at the Suchitra Film Society, sought to address the flipside of energy production and consumption."
The Hindu, "People and Power", Bangalore, February 6, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/people-and-power/article4385321.ece

"Here is a chance for students to learn about uranium mining and harmful effects of nuclear bombs. For the first time in the state, Manipal Institute of Communication will organize a two-day International Uranium Film Festival at the seminar hall in Manipal Institute of Technology from Saturday. At the festival, more than a dozen foreign documentary movies on nuclear power, uranium mining and nuclear wastes will be screened. The entry is free for the public... Varadesh Hiregange, director of MIC said the motto of organizing the fest was to familiarize students about harmful effects of uranium mining and nuclear bombs to the environment. `Because there is need to show more concern for environment and development,´ he added."
The Times of India, Travelling International Uranium Film Festival comes to Manipal, Jan 18, 2013, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-18/mangalore/36414421_1_film-fest-nuclear-bombs-international-film

"For more than six decades, there have been several short films and documentaries on nuclear issues that could not be screened due to political pressure. The International Uranium Film Festival, which is currently on in the city, has provided a platform to screen these films to the public. Shri Prakash and Norbert Suchanek, who were behind the Uranium Film Festival, spoke to City Express about their ideas and work."

New Indian Express, "Speaking for the deprived through Uranium Film Festival" by Vinoth Kumar, CHENNAI, 07th February 2013, http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article1452621.ece

"According to Shri Prakash, most of the time, displacements are a result of the government having to build more tailing dams for uranium mining, resulting in destruction of arable lands. Testimonies of village residents in the film reveal that they are not educated on the safety measures to be followed when handling radioactive material of any kind. Barrels containing radioactive material are loaded onto vehicles with bare hands... The women of the village pay a heavy price. Unable to bear children as a result of their exposure to radioactive material, they are ostracized by their own families."
The Hindu, "People and Power", Bangalore, February 6, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/people-and-power/article4385321.ece

"27 movies were screened on burning issues like uranium mining, nuclear power plants, atomic bombs, nuclear waste, radioactive risks and nuclear medicine.
Notable Ranchi based and international directors along with social activist Dayamani Barla were present during closing ceremony. Ranchi-based filmmaker Sriprakash’s ‘Buddha Weeps in Jadugoda and ‘Jadugoda: The Black Magic’ drew serious audience. Originator of the festival, Norbert G. Suchanek and Marcia Gomes de Oliveira´s, were overwhelmed with the response... The screening of films was followed by a panel discussion joined by eminent personalities from different fields. Dr. Ramesh Sharan, economist and professor at the Ranchi University, filmmaker Meghnath, social activist Dayamani Barla, Shishir Soren an activist from East Singhbhum, and Dumka Murmu secretary of JOAR (Jharkhandi Organization Against Radiation) discussed different aspects of issues and views. Dumka Murmu, President of JOAR said, “The plight of people suffering from Uranium Mining and its radiation has always remained unnoticed...none seems to be concerned.” Talking about the contemporary world and usage of uranium Dayamani Barla quipped that the development should not be at the cost of the people. Meghnath stressed on the need to film makers to assume an active role to raise issues that affect common people."

Daily Pioneer, "Uranium film festival concludes creating nuclear awareness", Friday, 18 January 2013, by Shiwani Sharma, Ranchi, http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/122883-uranium-film-festival-concludes-creating-nuclear-awareness.html

"Manipal: The repercussions of nuclear power and its harmful radiations cannot be felt, seen or heard and so the best way to communicate it is through films. In a bid to engage students in a debate on the issue of nuclear energy, the Travelling International Uranium Film Festival India 2013 is hosted by Manipal University on January 19-20 and is dedicated to screening independent documentaries and movies about nuclear waste and nuclear power... In his inaugural address Norbert Suchanek said that “This is such an important issue and there have been many films made in the UK, USA and Europe but there are not many films from the global South like India and Brazil. I hope this festival stimulates production of more such films and we see more films made from places like Male, Namibia and Argentina”, he said “I don’t want to see just documentaries but feature films with celebrities as actors and soap operas on such an important issue”, he added. Marcia Gomes, co-founder of the festival hopes to see increased cooperation between India and Brazil in this regard and come up with more films."
The MANGALOREAN, "Manipal University Hosts International Uranium Film Festival India 2013", By Michael Rodrigues, Team Mangalorean, 19 Jan, 2013,
http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=372182

"Eye-opening films - Congenital deformities in newborns, genetic mutation, infertility, high rate of early mortality, cancer and other diseases are tell-tale signs of nuclear contamination.... Recognizing the need of the hour, each film documents the deadly effect of nuclear energy and the painful existence of the people living in the vicinity.... The horrors of nuclear energy are still not known to people. There is an urgent need to end this ‘secrecy’, according to festival director Norbert G. Suchanek. India, like other nations of the world, is jumping on to the nuclear bandwagon and dreams of making nuclear power a significant source of energy, but are we ready?"
The Hindu Business Line, "Eye-opening films", by Ankita Chaudhuri, February, 2013,
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/on-campus/eyeopening-films/article4427616.ece~

"A step towards creating awareness - Villagers are evicted from their lands, made to work as miners and exposed to a heavy dose of radiation. Bringing this deplorable condition of Jadugoda into light, the documentary Toxic Neglect by Ranchi-based filmmaker Shri Prakash was an eye-opener for many who became a part of the recently-concluded International Travelling Uranium Film Festival, held at Siri Fort, New Delhi... Bringing such crucial issues related to nuclear energy and radioactivity into light from all across the globe, the three-day festival kick started with the screening of Atomic Bombs on the Planet Earth by director Peter Greenaway. The 14-minute documentary is on atomic bombs exploded on Earth. Surprisingly, from 1945 to 1989, 2,201 atomic bombs have been dropped."
The Deccan Herald, January, 2013, http://www.deccanherald.com/content/303609/a-step-towards-creating-awareness.html

"The Uranium Film Festival, which has its roots in Brazil, has come to Ranchi with several documentaries and short films. The three-day festival, which kicked off at Central University, Brambe, on Tuesday, travelled to the RIMS campus on Wednesday. “It was a great day for the film festival. A good number of people, apart from students of RIMS, came and watched the films that brought out the truth about nuclear power,” said Sriprakash, India co-ordinator of the film fest."
The Telegraph of India, "Reel alert on hazards of uranium mining", Ranchi, January, 2013, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130117/jsp/jharkhand/story_16449051.jsp

"The International Travelling Uranium Film Festival arrived to the final destination of the Ranchi Chapter- ILCC (International Library and Cultural Centre) on the third and final day of the three day event... The speakers were- Dr. Ramesh Sharan, eminent economist in today’s time and professor of Economics in Ranchi University, Mr. Meghnath, famous film maker from Jharkhand, Ms. Dayamani Barla, social activist and tribal journalist, Mr. Shishir Soren, an activist from Chapri village, East Singhbhum, and lastly Mr. Dumka Murmu , secretary of JOAR (Jharkhandi Organization Against Radiation)... In his speech Dr. Sharan revealed the reality pertaining to the uranium mining in India. He said that if anybody protests against uranium extraction they are labeled anti-development and anti-national. Mr. Meghnath stressed on the matter that cinema is not only meant for entertainment and the film makers should become audacious and responsible to present issues that affects the people at large. He also raised the question why we need Uranium for generating electricity and other energy. Why we can’t rely on alternative options like Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Gobar Gas and Micro Hydel Energy. He criticized the government who says they are against wars but wants to use uranium peacefully asking at the cost of people how can one utilize uranium in a peaceful manner? However the speaker who stole the show was Mr. Dumka Murmu, President of JOAR who honestly spoke about the plight and atrocities of his people suffering since ages from the terror of Uranium Mining and its radiation. He said that no one listens to and looks at the sufferings and grief of poor however the whole country shakes when a girl from Delhi gets raped by few insane beings."
SWATI VERMA, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND, "Ranchi's Chapter concludes at ILCC", Thursday, 17 January 2013, http://swaticuj8.blogspot.com.br/

"The main objective of this festival is to create awareness amongst the citizens about the risks associated with the atomic bomb and atomic energy, not just for the present generation but for future generations too. Growing worldwide environment concerns led filmmakers Norbert Suchanek and Marcia Gomes to take the initiative to create the First International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, one year before Fukushima happened. They felt that films, movies and documentaries are a very important medium to create awareness and empower the people. The festival also gives ‘nuclear’ filmmakers an international audience and helps them to make an impact on global public opinion. The best and most important productions receive the festival award “Yellow Oscar”."
"The International Uranium Film Festival travels to India", January 24, 2013, http://www.mformovie.in/the-international-uranium-film-festival-travels-to-india/

See also the festival website with photos and clippings of the travelling uranium film festival in India.

http://www.uraniumfilmfestival.org/index.php/en/press-room/clipping

http://www.uraniumfilmfestival.org/index.php/pt/mostras-itinerantes/india/fotos-india-2013

http://www.uraniofestival.org/index.php/pt/imprensa/clippings

The International Uranium Film Festival that is dedicated to films about the nuclear power and uranium mining travelled to India for the first time. The main objective of this festival is to create awareness amongst the citizens about the risks associated with the atomic bomb and nuclear energy, not just for the present generation but for future generations too. The Uranium Film Festival stands unique as it is the only festival in the world which is dedicated to that vitally important global issue and includes both documentary and fiction films. The films focus on various issues like Uranium mining, nuclear power plants, atomic bombs, nuclear waste, radioactive risks, nuclear medicine, Hiroshima, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima and many more.

Growing worldwide environment concerns led the filmmakers Norbert G. Suchanek and Marcia Gomes de Oliveira to take the initiative to create the First International Uranium Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, one year before Fukushima happened. They felt that films, movies and documentaries are a very important medium to create awareness and empower the people. The festival also gives ‘nuclear’ filmmakers an international audience and helps them to make an impact on global public opinion. The best and most important productions receive the festival award “Yellow Oscar”.

Best regards from Rio de Janeiro!

Further information and registration for the 3rd International Uranium Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro

Uranium Film Festival
Rua Monte Alegre 356 / 301
Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro / RJ
CEP 20.240-194
Brasil

Email:

info@uraniumfilmfestival.org
www.uraniumfilmfestival.org

The Uranium Film Festival Team in Brazil and India:

Marcia Gomes de Oliveira, Brazilian social scientist and filmmaker, she is the Executive Director of the festival

Norbert G. Suchanek, the German writer and filmmaker living in Brazil is the General Director of the Uranium Film Festival

Shriprakash, National award winning Indian filmmaker from Ranchi, he is the festival coordinator in India.

Ketika mengikuti SCFFI di Ubud, Bali, saya belajar bersama Jonathan Stack tentang story teling. Dan, SCFFI 2012 ini, saya belajar tentang memproduksi dan menjual ide ke acara Televisi dengan Dee LaDuke & Mark Alton Brown.

Ini workshop yang sangat menarik untuk saya. Saya mendengar presentasi dari Dee dan Mark tentang program Televisi. Dee presentasi, dan Mark sering menyelah diskusi Dee dengan para peserta workshop untuk melengkapi. Saya sedikit terkejut, ketika Mark bicara soal sosiologi film dengan menyebut Papuan Voices sebagai contoh pendekatan sosiologis di dunia sinematografi.

(Kiri: Mark Alton Brown ketika memberikan presentasi "Menjual Ide pada program Televisi" di Dillard University, New Orleans, USA)

Dalam workshop ini, saya menemukan beberapa ide untuk mendukung program Papua Voices dan Papuan Calling di Papua. Saya ingin memproduksi serial video Papua Calling dengan menggunakan pendekatan acara Televisi dan story teling. Saya pikir, ini sangat penting untuk melindungi dan promosi cerita kebudayaan orang Papua dan mengadvokasi berbagai persoalan keadilan sosial, lingkungan hidup dan hak asasi manusia.

Dan, saya juga bergabung dalam workshop “Perempuan dan Pembuatan Film untuk perubahan sosial”. Ini adalah sebuah workshop dimana saya bersama para peserta lain membicarakan tentang perempuan dan perang, pendekatan untuk media untuk meliput isu ingkungan, dan pengenalan screenwriting dengan penekanan lebih pada tema keadilan sosial. Saya banyak bercerita tentang situasi hidup orang asli Papua yang hidup dengan ketakutan di Papua. Bagi saya, orang asli Papua hidup dengan ketakutan, karena militer dan polisi Indonesia sering menangkap, menyiksa dan membunuh orang Papua yang dianggap tidak mendukung kebijakan Pemerintah Indonesia.

Selain itu, saya bergabung bersama tim yang dipimpin oleh Michael Yonchenko untuk merekam kegiatan SCFFI di Dillard University dan Loyola University. Selain saya, ada juga Fernando Barbosa dari Bolivia dan Jeremy Stern dari California. Kami menjadi tim yang kompak. Saya dipanggil sebagai saudara laki-laki dari Michael Yonchenko Fernando Barbosa, dan Jerremy Stern. Begitu pula saya memanggil mereka. Kami adalah saudara dari bapa dan mama yang berbeda.

(Dari kiri ke kanan: Wensi Fatubun, Fernando Barbosa, Michael Yonchenko dan Jeremy Stern)

Solidaritas yang dihidupi diantara tim yang dipimpin Michael Yonchenko ini membuat kami, anggota tim, untuk berpikir kreatif dalam bekerja dan memikirkan sesuatu karya. Kami bikin kampanye kecil tentang perjuangan masyarakat Indian. Kami mewawancarai Chief Warhorse. Michael Yonchenko, Fernando Barbosa dan Jeremy Stern menjadi juru kamera, sementara saya yang masuk di masuk dalam layar kamera.

Saya muncul di depan kamera, bercerita dengan Chief Warhorse, ketua Komunitas Indian Amerika. Ini pengalaman pertama saya bercerita dalam bahasa Inggris di depan kamera. Saya gugup, tapi situasi dan dukungan dari ketika saudara saya, bikin saya menjadi nyaman untuk bicara di depan kamera. Sesi bercerita ini pun menjadi sebuah dialog dari hati ke hati antara dua orang yang punya masalah yang mirip. Ini bukan lagi sebuah sesi tanya jawab. Saya membuka wawancara ini dengan bercerita tentang situasi di tanah Papua.

(Kiri: Chief Warhorse dan Wensi Fatubun dalam sesi wawancara di Dillard University, New Orleans, USA)

“Di tanah Papua Barat, kami, orang Papua, hidup dengan rasa takut. Hampir setiap hari, saudara kami, atau kawan kami ditangkap, disiksa dan dibunuh oleh militer dan polisi Indonesia.”

“Ok...saya bisa bayangkan”

“Tanah kami dicaplok. Kami berteriak sebagai protes, tapi Pemerintah Indonesia tidak mau mendengar, bahkan kami diberi stigma separatisme.”

“Hal ini sama seperti yang kami, orang Indian Amerika, rasakan. Kita punya pengalaman yang mirip

“Menurut saya, persoalan ketidakadilan yang dialami, bukan persoalan pembangunan yang tidak merata dengan daerah-daerah di luar Papua, seperti di pulau Jawa misalnya. Tapi persoalan martabat dan harga diri orang asli Papua yang sedang ditindas”.

“Bagaimana dengan masalah Freeport McMoran? Apakah apa yang kami, orang Indian, alami di New Orleans mirip dengan orang Papua?”

“Saya belum tahu persis. Tapi, PT. Freeport investasi di tanah Papua tanpa persetujuan kami. Kami dipaksa oleh Pemerintah Indonesia melalui militernya untuk harus menerima PT. Freeport, padahal kami belum resmi sebagai bagian dari Indonesia. Hal ini terjadi pada tahun 1967. Kami menjadi bagian dari Indonesia pada tahun 1969. Sekarang, ada beberapa kelompok aktivis di Indonesia yang minta untuk PT. Freeport dinasionalisasi. Saya kira mereka salah sekali. Seharusnya para aktivis itu berjuang supaya orang Papua tidak mengalami penindasan dengan kehadiran PT. Freeport, nasionalisasi bukan solusi."

Begitulah sedikit percakapan saya dengan Chief Warhorse.

Dan, selepas berbincang-bindang dengan Chief Warhorse, saya, Michael Yonchenko, Fernando Barbosa, dan Jeremy Stren pergi makan siang di Restoran Commel. Restoran Commel memang jadi tempat favorit kami. Pelayannya sangat rama. Kami pesan jambalaya. Ketika kami sedang menunggu jambalaya pesanan kami, Michael Yonchenko dan Fernando Barbosa memperkenalkan “Salam Bilogai” kepada para pelayanan restoran. Seorang pelayan tampak bersemangat sekali untuk mempraktekan “Salam Bilogai” kepada para tamu lain. Ini pengalaman yang luar biasa. Semua tamu restoran mempraktekan salam bilogai. Hal yang sama juga saya alami pada keesokan harinya, ketika makan pagi di Restoran Commel ini. Selain di Restoran Commel, saya dan Fernando memperkenalkan “Salam Bilogai” kepada para peserta SCFFI di Restoran Mexico.

Name: Shafie Dris
Age: 45
Location: Kampung Penderas, Kuala Krau, Temrloh Pahang, Malaysia

Links

• Shafie Dris on EngageMedia
• Shafie Dris on YouTube

If you know of any interesting filmmakers around Asia Pacific that you'd like to see featured on EngageMedia.org, write to us today!

Timing

• Subtitles should appear and disappear exactly when the words are spoken. However, ensure captions appear on-screen long enough to be read.
• There should be two lines of text on screen at most.
• Set the minimum time of display to 1.5 seconds for very short dialogs (such as an answer to a question, "Okay"). These minimums do not apply in some cases with rapid dialogs.
• It's best to consider whether the audience will be able to read through your subtitles while still following the events in the video.
• If a lyric is repeated, create a gap between end of first lyric, and start of second repeated lyric. This ensures that there is a 'blink' on and off visually between each line to indicate to the viewer that the lyric is sung twice.
• Use a separate subtitle for each sentence of dialog. Avoid end a sentence and begin a new sentence on the same line, unless the second sentence is very short in length.

Meaning

• When translating from a different language, translate meaning and not just words, making sure to get the point across to the audience.
• Quotes by public figures should be captioned verbatim (word-for-word) whenever possible.
• Retain words like “but”, “so”, or “too”, as they are essential for expressing meaning.
• Ensure that all actual words are captioned, regardless of language, dialect, or slang.

Sound

• When speech is inaudible, put up a label explaining the cause. e.g. (traffic drowns speech)
• Show sound effect captions in lowercase italics enclosed in brackets. e.g. (dog barking) (child screaming)
• If there are multiple people talking, or the film cuts between people speaking, consider using the names of the people in the subtitles to identify the different speakers. e.g.

(John) What did you say?
(Sarah) I think this is great

• One method to indicate singing in a video is to have a space inserted after the beginning music icon (♪) and before the ending music icon(s). e.g. ♪ Buffalo soldier, in the heart of America ♪
• Another method used for music captioning is using a hashtag (#) at the beginning of each line to denote lyrics. e.g. # Buffalo soldier, in the heart of America #
• When people are seen talking, but there is no audio, caption as [no audio] or [silence].

Punctuation

• There are mixed views on including full stops / periods in subtitles. Film and TV productions generally do not use them, however many translators have found them useful when translating from original subtitles online and offline.
• Question marks (?) and exclamation points (!) should be used to indicate a question or emphasis respectively, positioned right after the last character of a subtitle.
• Use a single space after commas, colons, semi-colons and mid-subtitle full-stops, on both sides of dashes (but not mid-word hyphens), before opening brackets and after closing brackets.
• Be consistent in the use of vocabulary that can be spelled in hyphenated form. eg. 'mid-level'.
• When a speaker is interrupted and another speaker finishes the sentence, the interruption should be conveyed by double hyphens or a single long dash.
• Use an ellipsis (...) when there is a significant pause within a caption. However, do not use an ellipsis to indicate that the sentence continues into the next caption.
• Use quotation marks for on-screen readings from a poem, book, play, journal, or letter. However, use quotation marks and italics for offscreen readings or voice-overs.

Capitalization

• Always start sentences in capital letters.
• Do not emphasize a word using all capital letters except to indicate screaming.

Numbers

• Long numbers should usually be presented according to relevant conventions, eg telephone numbers (xxx-xxxx; xxx-xxx-xxxx) or other long numbers in groups of three (10,000 / 100,000).
• Always spell out all numbers from one to ten, but use numerals for all numbers over ten. e.g. "Tom wants ten balloons". "Tom wants 54 balloons".
• Use numerals when referring to technical and athletic terms. e.g. He scored 3 goals in today’s game!
• Use the numeral plus the lowercase “th,” “st,” or “nd” when a day of the month is mentioned by itself (no month is referred to). e.g. Bob went fishing on the 9th.
• Indicate time of day with numerals only. e.g. “ I awoke at 5:17. ” or “You must arrive by 6:25 p.m. ”
• A decade should be captioned as “the 1980s” (not “the 1980’s”) and “the ’50s” (not “the 50’s”).

Line Breaks

• Subtitle lines should end at natural linguistic breaks, ideally at clause or phrase boundaries. e.g.

Incorrect
He said it would increase the
number of shareholders.

Correct
He said it would increase
the number of shareholders.

• Do not break a person’s name or title from within a line. e.g.

Incorrect
Bob and Susan
Miller are at the movies.

Correct
Bob and Susan Smythe
are at the movies.

Incorrect
Suzy and Professor
Barker are here.

Correct
Suzy and Professor Barker
are here.

• Do not break a line after a conjunction. e.g:

Incorrect
In seconds she arrived, and
he ordered a drink.

Correct
In seconds she arrived,
and he ordered a drink.

• Do not break an auxiliary verb from the word it modifies. Example:
  

Incorrect
Mom said I could
have gone to the movies.

Correct
Mom said I could have gone
to the movies.

Italics

Italics should be used to indicate the following:

• A voice-over reading of a poem, book, play, journal, letter, etc. (This is also quoted material, so quotation marks are also needed.)
• When a person is dreaming, thinking, or reminiscing.
• When there is background audio that is essential to the plot, such as a PA system or TV.
• Offscreen dialogue, narrator (see Exception 2 below), sound effects, or music (this includes background music).
• The offscreen narrator when there are multiple speakers on-screen or offscreen.
• Foreign words and phrases, unless they are in an English dictionary.
• When a particular word is heavily emphasized in speech. e.g. You must leave!
  

Phonetic Words

• When a word is spoken phonetically, caption it the way it is commonly written. e.g.
  

Original Narration
“www dot D-C-M-P dot org”
“eight or nine hundred”
“a thousand"
“one thousand”

Captioned
www.dcmp.org
800 or 900
a thousand
1000

Misc.

• Bold and underline are not permitted in subtitling.

To find our more about our online subtitling and translation project, and join our subtitling team, please visit our Lingua project page.

As I write this, she has been in police headquarters for about four hours. They have opened her laptop and taken her hard drive, and now taken her phone. Below is my Storify of events as they unfurl.

After over 100 SMRT bus drivers went on strike in November 2012, five of the drivers were arrested and charged with inciting the strike. One has already been convicted, served his jail term and been repatriated to China. The others are awaiting trial.

As part of research for a possible documentary, filmmaker Lynn Lee interviewed two of the bus drivers, He Jun Ling and Liu Xiang Ying. In their interviews, they made allegations that they had been beaten and threatened by police officers.

The allegations caused concern, especially among civil society groups. A statement was released urging for an independent inquiry.

The Ministry of Home Affairs then said that the allegations would be investigated by the Internal Affairs Office of the Singapore Police Force.

According to the MHA statement, the investigation would involve the "bus drivers, producers of the video and other related parties." On 5 February, plainclothes police took Lynn Lee's hard drive containing the interviews with the two bus drivers.

Lynn's Facebook Update on 5 February: "Thrilled they are investigating. Not so pleased half a dozen plainclothes police felt it necessary to confiscate the hard drive containing my interviews with the drivers. Told the IO the drive held other projects as well as potentially confidential information not related to their case, and that I would be happy to copy the relevant footage into a separate drive for them, but they refused. The IO (who seemed nice enough) couldn't tell me which section of the CPC allowed him to seize the drive and had to make a few calls to check. They were kind enough to let me back everything up though. They also promised to only look at He Jun Ling and Liu Xiang Ying's interviews."

Lynn's Facebook Update on 6 February: "Spent .5 hours at Police Headquarters chatting with Superintendent Lim Chan Huat of the Internal Affairs Office today. He assured me authorities were taking ex-SMRT drivers, He Jun Lin and Liu Xiang Ying's allegations seriously. I said I was glad. Asked about our hard drive. Superintendent Lim said he would try to have it returned soon."

Lynn's Facebook Update on 7 February: "A Superintendent Goh Tat Boon from Bedok Police Division and three other plainclothes police showed up at our house at 9am today, demanding that I surrender my phone, laptop and iMac. I asked how the three devices were relevant to their investigation as they already had the hard drive containing all the footage of my interviews with the ex-SMRT drivers. Superintendent Goh said it was 'necessary' and 'related' and that while it was 'unpleasant' for me, he just had to take my property. Again, I asked how my phone was even relevant to the investigation. He couldn't give me a specific answer. Neither did he seem to know the relevant provisions under which he was acting, asking us to allow him to seize the items first, then make any complaint we had to the 'relevant authorities' later. Called lawyer, M Ravi who came over immediately. He reminded Supt Goh that I wasn't the one being investigated. Neither was I the one making allegations against the police. I was merely a journalist/filmmaker doing my job. Ravi then contacted the AGC and after a short conversation, it was agreed that I would take my laptop and phone to police headquarters this afternoon where the items would be examined in my presence, then returned to me immediately afterwards."

The police's action has attracted criticism from the Singaporean public. Some have expressed concern over the Superintendent's inability to provide a reason – or even refer to the relevant provisions – for the need to seize Lynn's property, emphasising the importance of Singaporeans knowing their rights.

While at the police headquarters (where she's been for over three hours as of 5:57pm on 7 February), Lynn had to have her bathroom breaks supervised. The police are also trying to take the hard drive from her laptop to go through her files.

The police were looking for more video clips in Lynn's laptop. But as Lynn says, "Now they are looking for video files that don't exist! My laptop is too small to handle big video clips or FCP. And there is no more video of interviews with the men. Talk about a fishing expedition."

My WhatsApp messages with Lynn stopped after the police took her phone. Her phone was returned 1.5 hours later.

After a whole afternoon spent in police HQ, Lynn was finally released at about 10:30pm.

More updates available here.

Tell us who you are as a filmmaker.

I have always worked with marginalized sectors here in the Philipines. Their struggle and aspiration for a society with social justice and genuine peace have always inspired me as filmmaker. At the same time, I have a strong realization that filmmaking is a collective endeavour. Thus, I've always been part of video groups or collectives and their formation.

How did you come to video as a medium? Why do you work with the moving image?

I was quite lucky that I was exposed to the arts at a young age. My parents were both theater artists and my dad worked in a cultural institute in the Philippines. Later, I will study drama and general arts in high school. Through these circumstances, I had access to screenings of local and foreign films outside what was available in movie theaters,  it made a mark on me that possibly in the future, I can be part of something worthwhile like filmmaking. In high school, I had the opportunity to meet Filipino independent filmmakers and with my exposure with them, even though it was fairly limited, the idea of creating films became more realizable.

What are the main issues you address in your video work?

My exposure to different peoples' organizations made it possible for me to be familiar and interested  in many issues within what we call human rights. Though, I think the pivotal issue if you can call it that would be the neo-colonial relations between my country and the United States of America.

What radicalised you as a filmmaker - or how did you come to work with these issues? Did it happen in the moment, or was it a process?

It was a process between being a radical or a radical filmmaker if I may put it that way. In college, I became a student activist and my involvement in the arts took a backseat. It was during this time that I went out of the campus to visit workers' picket lines and farmers' communities. I also took part in fact-finding missions that documented the abuses of the military during their operations against the guerillas in rural areas.

Since I had my dad's slr camera I was tasked to take photos of rallies and other activities by peoples' organizations. Though the images I took weren't that impressive, I realized its potential to depict the life and struggle of the opressed. Together with like-minded activists who had slr and video cameras, we formed a video collective that made documentaries, news reels, music videos and experimental films about the plight

and struggle of peasants, indigenous people and workers for social justice.

It was during this time that I was abducted, together with human rights volunteers, by suspected military personnel. I was filming a human rights documentary entitled "Echo of Bullets". Two of my companions, a human rights group leader and a peasant leader were killed. I wasn't the target of the extra-judicial killing and was set free. At gunpoint, the abductors told me to stop working with human rights groups. Obviously, I didn't follow them. I have always thought that to make them unhappy would be the least I can do.

In between video productions, our collective continued to do volunteer work for NGOs, we wrote press releases, made posters and flyers and prepared multimedia presentations. Now that I devote more time to filmmaking, I believe that this is my contribution to the struggle of marginalized sectors that I have called my own.

Tell us about your favourite piece of video you have made, in regards to social justice or the environment.

Aside from my harrowing experience while filming Echo of Bullets, I think it would be the documentary "The Enemy" that I was tasked to direct by the video collective I work with in 2003. It was my first time to direct. It was a documentary that showed the history of the neo-colonial relations between the Philippines and the USA with the US war on terror set as a background. The script was written by an alliance against US intervention that also produced the video. It took me almost two years to finish it.

The main problem was the availability of footage for the historical parts of the video which compromised more than half of the documentary. To be able to finish it, I had to reappropriate different images from various sources to fit the film. I had to make my own images through motion graphics. I also had fun editing the music video sequences which  borrowed from Jimi Hendrix and Trent Reznor, quite different from what was used in local political videos back then. I guess this is my favorite because I learned a lot while doing it.

How do you think online distribution is changing the field of independent video making? How do you use online tools in your work?

Independent films uploaded in the web are now accessible to the people who have internet. Sounds great, right? But wait... Actually, all uploaded videos are accessible to all of us who have internet, regardless of content and form. From the absurd to the funny, from fascist propaganda to socially relevant independent films, they're all easily available such as the problem really now is how to build an intelligent, discerning, and compassionate audience among a general mass that is also being wooed by videos that basically uphold the status quo.

So I think that as an independent filmmaker, the challenge is to catch and hold the online public's attention through that right blend of form and content. But we should not be contented with catching attention, we should be also be concerned with conciously building an audience. I am only assured that my work is being maximized for the potential of social change if I continue to work with people's organizations who will work just as hard as me to reach an audience that have the best chances of being engaged and empowered.

Links

• Pangarap Sa Buhay
• Migrant Stories - Stranded in Saudi Arabia
• Migrant Stories - A Mysterious Death
• Reclaiming Luisita
• The Enemy
• Echo of Bullets

If you know of any interesting filmmakers around Asia Pacific you'd like to see featured on EngageMedia.org, write to us today!