The Visual Ethnography/Film for Development pilot project is a student and staff exchange between Fine and Performing Art at University of Dar es salaam and Film Making and Communication for Development at Malmö University. The project faciliates a ‘quick-and-dirty’ field research + filming/visual documentation of a ‘social theme’ or ‘social change story/potential’ in 3 selected communities in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. Importantly, Dar students/teachers contribute as main intermediaries in the research stage, while K3 students/staff are essential during film, and in particular during post-production in Malmö, where Dar students and staff now are based in Malmö. The pilot project concludes with a follow up stage including bringing the films back to the communities as well as screening and discussion films at events in Dar and Malmö.
A mixed group of Dar es Salaam, Dept of Fine and Performing Art students and Film Making and Communication for Development students at K3 do initial research in a selection of communities, during mid August, for 3 short documentary films – as well as general ethnographic research, in particular for the ComDev student. The FPA has experience with work from a ‘theater for development’ (TfD) approach, practiced in Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa. In brief, this is about experimenting with different forms of theatrical enactment that creates or expresses a story, problem or theme that occupies the community. The purpose of the project is to test a mix/adaptation of of TfD and documentary filming and visual ethnography approaches. Lajos Varhegyi (and to a lesser degree Anders, concentrating on the general project development and the ComDev student) facilitate the process. Lajos teaches film making in Dar during the Dar visit August 2010.
The next stage is a postproduction stage in Malmö in Sept/October, where the films are edited and further teaching on ComDev and Film Making take place. Students from Dar and K3 participate together on K3s Film course, while Dar students at field work in Dar used the research and filming as part of their apprenticeship phase. While 4 K3 students went to Dar (+ 1.5 teacher, one fully funded, one half funded), 3 of the Dar students go to K3, along with one teacher, to engage in postproduction and further teaching.
The process and the media products create data for research as well as for further project adjustments which may lead to a new application in September. Other teachers from K3 may be involved.
The key idea is/was to document and interpret enactments in moving images in the documentary film genre(supplemented by observation, interviews and photography) where different students can have different roles depending on competence and interests. For the students the key issue was training – whether in ethnographic methods or/and film making and visual documentation under difficult circumstances – for Malmö students providing totally new fields of enquiry, while for the Dar students providing more ‘practice’, since they are mostly concerned with film theory.
The films are meant to evolve through dialogue with the community members – however it is also the purpose to test how/if to which extent the process turns out to be ‘participatory’ and for whom etc (the ComDev student as well as Anders/Lajos is engaged in these questions). The intention was not do ‘tourist films’ or implement a development agenda, but to create a win-win situation of unusual and experimental education education where an art form as a tool of communication and edutainment were explored.
The Follow up with screening in Dar – and a ‘handing over ‘of the material to communities where the enactment/documentation has been done – is important for exploring the social themes, and possible changes, with these media productions. The films as product may not be so important.
More important is the learning process for both groups of students and teachers, as well the discussions that they may trigger in the communities.
The pilot project runs on a budget below 200.000 SEK (for student and staff travel in both directions and accommodation), primarily form the Internationalization Fund at K3 – and as a ‘labour of love’.
Further funding application, for additional funding body, to be written in September is considered for continuation/revision of the project.
Facts about this project:
Departments: School of Arts and Communication/K3, Film Making and Communication for Development with Dept of Fine and Performing Arts, University of Dar es salaam
Project coordinators/facilitators and teachers: Lajos Varhegyi (Lecturer, Film Making) and Anders Høg Hansen (Senior Lecturer, Media and Communication).
Teachers during exchange in Dar and Malmo: Lajos, Anders and Richard Ogodoro, University of Dar es Salaam.
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