In 1978, the late Jean Rouch himself a famous figure in French cinema, and a group of Parisian filmmakers created the Mozambique film workshop which created the first ever indigenous third world filmmakers and film authors.
Today, indigenous and third world filmmakers are still struggling to have their own voice and world view heard on the international forum.
There are still too many people and organisations who believe that the third world people need to be represented by first world filmmakers. But are we really incapable of speaking for ourselves? Are we incapable of representing ourselves and offering our own particular perspective on the way the earth functions? Shouldn't we create, run and control our own film forums that truly empower ourselves as the third world people?
It is fine to collaborate together with filmmakers from the industrialised countries but we also need third world filmmakers and a third world film industry to be self regulating and to be self driven.
What did Jean Rouch stand for? What was the dream that the late Blanchet brothers gave to the third world filmmakers? How did these two men inspire the rise of indigenous filmmaking in Papua New Guinea. How did Papua New Guinean filmmakers pick up and run with that dream?
Most third world film festivals are appendages of the larger first world industries funded by Paris or Brussels. Many international film festivals created in the name of third world people are not run or funded by third world people and many of them are Eurocentric.
Upon what forum can third world film makers and artists really stand on to carry on a reflection about their own cultural existence and the socio-political and economic challenges that they face and struggle with?
Today our struggle goes on. As a simple evidence of that, most of the film forums are in the Western Countries and very few festivals are run at the level of our rural communities.
That's why today I see that the best third world film festival is the Ânûû-rû âboro film festival in New Caledonia. It is the best third world film festival in the world for me, because it reaches out to the communities. It is not run by a hotel but by the whole Melanesian community of the Province Nord (Northern Province of Kanaky).
The film screenings take place in the villages, where international filmmakers are hosted by the villagers. So members of rural communities are able to have discussions with the filmmakers about a myriad of local and international issues. This is a festival that recognises what film needs to be in the lives of third world people.
The model of Ânûû-rû âboro is a great way for third world people to organise and go forward with their film festivals. Papua New Guinea as a friend and neighbour of the Kanaky people could very easily adopt the Kanaky way of organising film festivals for Papua New Guinea's own film scene and culture.
Below is a song by Bob Dylan called Mozambique - from his own dreams inspired by Mozambique. That kind of artistry is great. Because it's a third dimension and not from someone merely using the third world for their own career like many people purporting to support the third world do.
That's my point here. It's not about blocking first world filmmakers from working in the third world, but its about proper recognition of third world aspirations as well.
Outside of fiction and drama filmmaking, first world filmmakers who are involved in Documentary film do not have to shut out the voices of third world filmmakers just so that they themselves can have a socio-political voice regarding the state of the third world. They should be facing the common issues from their own humanity, standing on their own personal politics and they should define that for themselves properly before they start publishing their own observations. That way they can provide the earth with authentic art and not the mere noise making about third world issues which only affect them as consumers.
During many other articles regarding film and emancipation, I shall carry on with a critical analysis about North/South relationships and how the third world voice is constantly silenced or denied through various constructs.
In a follow up post, I will deal with the fine differences between People's Forum Filmmaking (The Spirit of Mozambique) and Visual Anthropology.
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Note: There are too many terrible covers of "Mozambique" online. Here is an original performance by Bob Dylan and his own band, not in good quality but an original. Please click here if the embed below doesn't work. It usually takes a while for this video to load.
Today, indigenous and third world filmmakers are still struggling to have their own voice and world view heard on the international forum.
There are still too many people and organisations who believe that the third world people need to be represented by first world filmmakers. But are we really incapable of speaking for ourselves? Are we incapable of representing ourselves and offering our own particular perspective on the way the earth functions? Shouldn't we create, run and control our own film forums that truly empower ourselves as the third world people?
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Séverin Blanchet creator of several film workshops in the third world. |
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Vincent Blanchét taught and inspired third world filmmakers. Member of the original Mozambique Workshop |
Most third world film festivals are appendages of the larger first world industries funded by Paris or Brussels. Many international film festivals created in the name of third world people are not run or funded by third world people and many of them are Eurocentric.
Upon what forum can third world film makers and artists really stand on to carry on a reflection about their own cultural existence and the socio-political and economic challenges that they face and struggle with?
Today our struggle goes on. As a simple evidence of that, most of the film forums are in the Western Countries and very few festivals are run at the level of our rural communities.
 |
| Customary welcome rituals, a normal part of Ânûû-rû âboro Film Festival |
The film screenings take place in the villages, where international filmmakers are hosted by the villagers. So members of rural communities are able to have discussions with the filmmakers about a myriad of local and international issues. This is a festival that recognises what film needs to be in the lives of third world people.
The model of Ânûû-rû âboro is a great way for third world people to organise and go forward with their film festivals. Papua New Guinea as a friend and neighbour of the Kanaky people could very easily adopt the Kanaky way of organising film festivals for Papua New Guinea's own film scene and culture.
Below is a song by Bob Dylan called Mozambique - from his own dreams inspired by Mozambique. That kind of artistry is great. Because it's a third dimension and not from someone merely using the third world for their own career like many people purporting to support the third world do.
That's my point here. It's not about blocking first world filmmakers from working in the third world, but its about proper recognition of third world aspirations as well.
Outside of fiction and drama filmmaking, first world filmmakers who are involved in Documentary film do not have to shut out the voices of third world filmmakers just so that they themselves can have a socio-political voice regarding the state of the third world. They should be facing the common issues from their own humanity, standing on their own personal politics and they should define that for themselves properly before they start publishing their own observations. That way they can provide the earth with authentic art and not the mere noise making about third world issues which only affect them as consumers.
During many other articles regarding film and emancipation, I shall carry on with a critical analysis about North/South relationships and how the third world voice is constantly silenced or denied through various constructs.
In a follow up post, I will deal with the fine differences between People's Forum Filmmaking (The Spirit of Mozambique) and Visual Anthropology.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: There are too many terrible covers of "Mozambique" online. Here is an original performance by Bob Dylan and his own band, not in good quality but an original. Please click here if the embed below doesn't work. It usually takes a while for this video to load.
The sunny sky is aqua blue
And all the couples dancing cheek to cheek
It's very nice to stay a week or two
And maybe fall in love just me and you.
There's a lot of pretty girls in Mozambique
And plenty time for good romance
And everybody likes to stop and speak
To give the special one you seek a chance
Or maybe say hello with just a glance.
Lying next to her by the ocean
Reaching out and touching her hand
Whispering your secret emotion
Magic in a magical land.
And when it's time for leaving Mozambique
To say goodbye to sand and sea
You turn around to take a final peek
And you see why it's so unique to be
Among the lovely people living free
Upon the beach of sunny Mozambique..
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