March 24, 2016 / U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa
By Lucy Gebre-Egziabher
You can read here the full report on my Fulbright Specialist program in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia – October – December 2016
A Pictorial Narration: Fulbright in pix
Interview on Ethiopian Broadcast Corporation – Arhibu program
In October 2015, I went to Ethiopia as a Fulbright Specialist to teach Film Studies at Rift Valley University, Bole campus. For 45 days I taught both the creative and technical elements of Film to 130 day & evening students.
Ethiopia has a growing film industry. However due to a lack of formal education in this field, many films are made without proper training. Although the industry has become a viable business, it is outputting “formula films” that seem more driven by business demand.
My primary objective was to instill in these young students the notion that cinema is an academic field of study that requires both theory as well as practice. I delivered a series of lectures on Screenwriting, Directing, Film History, Theory and Criticism. Lectures were accompanied by film screenings, followed by discussions. The next phase was to go into the practical side of filmmaking – a “from Script to Screen” workshop. Students who have never made films before walked through the various stages of the filmmaking process and produced short films that were screened to an audience.
After the program, I encouraged students to organize themselves as a film group, the “Ethiopian New Wave Filmmakers,” in order to continue working together and supporting each other’s productions. I committed to continue working with them as a mentor/advisor. I also identified a venue where they can screen their films and hold monthly short film screenings. While the program delivery was a success, I believe that setting up the means through which these students can continue to make films and screen them in the coming future was as valuable a contribution.
Another priority for me was to recruit, train and empower women in this field. I worked to ensure, before the start date, that extra efforts were made in recruiting female students for the program. As is the case in many developing countries, male students have a tendency to be larger in numbers in film classes and tend to dominate the discussion in class. I made this a top priority in talks with the host institution. A good number of female students were recruited. While at first their participation was at a minimal, as the program went on, my female students started to take leadership roles and became more active in class discussions as well as on production sets.
Screenwriting workshop – U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa:
As part of the Embassy’s campaign to raise awareness on gender based violence (GBV) issues, I developed and delivered a week-long screenwriting workshop for Ethiopian women journalists and filmmakers. This “Telling HerStory” screenwriting workshop focused on using the art of film and screenwriting to address GBV issues. I walked participants through the various stages of the screenwriting process. At the end, all participants had written a 5-page (5-minute) script. The top three were selected by a panel of judges. The U.S Embassy awarded funds to the 3 finalists to produce short films.
Follow-on activities:
Collaboration is the key to filmmaking. Once my Fulbright program was completed, and the U.S. Embassy screenwriting workshop was done, the only logical step was to introduce the Ethiopia New Wave Filmmakers with the 3 women finalists who were eager to turn their scripts into films. They formed a creative village and the results: 3 scripts turned into 3 short films. Their creative partnership continues.
A critical part of the training is maintaining contact with the students and remaining a part of their filmmaking journey. I have been mentoring the Ethiopian New Wave Filmmakers and advising them on various productions they are currently working on. I will stay in touch with the students and continue to provide them with guidance, support, and much needed information and resources. I also created a section in the Northern Virginia (NOVA) Student Film Festival to feature short films from my students in Ethiopia starting this year.
The most exciting follow-on project is linking up my film students in the U.S. with the Ethiopian New Wave Filmmakers. I am happy to report that they are currently collaborating on a film project, partly shot in Virginia and partly shot in Addis Ababa, two characters, two locations, two realities, one story. My students (on both continents) and I are very excited about this project!
From my past experience in development work, I found that it was not enough just to deliver much needed educational training but it is as important to also help students set up means through which they can apply in practical terms what they learn. In filmmaking, this includes setting up means of production, making resources available, galvanizing community support of these young filmmakers and venues where they can screen their films. When I decided to do this program, I was inspired by the notion of knowledge transfer and giving back to my community. Now I am inspired by these students’ passion and commitment to filmmaking!
Comments