Zach Niles Reports in from Freetown, Sierra Leone
The hard working filmmakers of the award winning documentary film and co-managers of Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars (Zach Niles and Banker White) are continuing their efforts in Sierra Leone with their latest project-WeOwnTV. They are Freetown instructing a group of post-conflict Sierra Leonean youth in film production, storytelling and social media - teaching them a means of expression to share their powerful stories with the world and to explore their common humanity.
AUDIENCE'S good friend and colleague, Zach Niles has just sent us an update from Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Rainy. It’s stunningly, constantly, mildewingly, paralyzingly… rainy. And even so - still - amazing. Daily awe at the creativity and inspiration of the students. They are sharing in ways I know they’ve never done before. And almost every day one of them will say this is the best experience they’ve ever had. It’s heartening and humbling, but also heavy in its own way. Trying to figure out how to spin this top fast enough that it can keep itself going after we’re gone. Currently at this very moment… as the rain drains and drones outside - I’m watching a group of students huddle around a laptop. Eyes wide. And they’re … editing! Editing stories that they wrote and story boarded and filmed yesterday. Most of them had never set hands to computer before this workshop and now they’re setting ins n’ outs..talking about establishing shots and transitions. It’s just a beautiful thing.
Tonight we will start the cranky generator. We will hang our white UNICEF tarpauline under a tin roof and drag out row after row of bright plastic chairs. We will twist some rusty speaker cables together and attach them to a battered amplifier. The power cord pulled and affixed at a slightly upward right angle, the magic spot for the inner wires to fire. We will crank the amp loud enough to outblast the sound of the pelting rain on the metal roof. We’ll make some popcorn over an open fire in a smokey kitchen hut. And… insh’allah … the projector will work and we’ll watch Slumdog Millionaire. Doesn’t sound too shabby does it? Just a lil’ check in from the rainy season of sweet Salone.
Z
www.WeOwnTV.org
AUDIENCE'S good friend and colleague, Zach Niles has just sent us an update from Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Rainy. It’s stunningly, constantly, mildewingly, paralyzingly… rainy. And even so - still - amazing. Daily awe at the creativity and inspiration of the students. They are sharing in ways I know they’ve never done before. And almost every day one of them will say this is the best experience they’ve ever had. It’s heartening and humbling, but also heavy in its own way. Trying to figure out how to spin this top fast enough that it can keep itself going after we’re gone. Currently at this very moment… as the rain drains and drones outside - I’m watching a group of students huddle around a laptop. Eyes wide. And they’re … editing! Editing stories that they wrote and story boarded and filmed yesterday. Most of them had never set hands to computer before this workshop and now they’re setting ins n’ outs..talking about establishing shots and transitions. It’s just a beautiful thing.
Tonight we will start the cranky generator. We will hang our white UNICEF tarpauline under a tin roof and drag out row after row of bright plastic chairs. We will twist some rusty speaker cables together and attach them to a battered amplifier. The power cord pulled and affixed at a slightly upward right angle, the magic spot for the inner wires to fire. We will crank the amp loud enough to outblast the sound of the pelting rain on the metal roof. We’ll make some popcorn over an open fire in a smokey kitchen hut. And… insh’allah … the projector will work and we’ll watch Slumdog Millionaire. Doesn’t sound too shabby does it? Just a lil’ check in from the rainy season of sweet Salone.
Z
www.WeOwnTV.org
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