So we are working up a video for International Women's Day in early March - and the video must be simple to shoot, simple to edit and convey a good... well... simple message.
-The theme? Men and women join together to stop violence against women. We've been talking a lot in the office about how change begins with us, in Geneva. It begins with me. It begins with you. It begins with US. This line, I think, could be the line that appears many times throughout the video. "It begins with us".
-Next, I am thinking of images and subtext. We'll have several scenes of men and women doing physical things together - dancing, biking, running - we could begin to convey the message that of course, we all have this energy. Perhaps stemming violence is partially about where we put that energy. And if we are doing powerful, energetic things TOGETHER - that is one place where a small change can begin.
I've had a few conversations with my wise colleagues and here is a working list of some of the physical things that would be interesting to film:
-A couple on bikes (Irene and BF?)
-A group of people dancing (does anyone know a local dance troupe?)
-Men and women doing yoga.
-A couple playing with their kids.
-A group of people messily painting a big canvas (Siobahn worked with a cooperative)
-A couple running down the stairs of a cathedral together holding hands.
-A group of friends noisily and messily making dinner together.
-Men and women jogging.
- The third element to the piece will be tips about how to stem violence against women in small ways. They come in the form of questions. Here is an example:
Luisa had a suggestion - if you are talking to a couple, do you focus mainly on the man?
Or a question to women - are you mentoring other women? Why or why not?
The questions make the piece non preachy - but effective to get those synapses firing.
-The last element will be how to translate this to refugees... to the field. Perhaps we will have the last person or group of people who say "It begins with US." do an echo repeating... then we show, with the echo still reverbing, shots of the field. Or many even just one of men and women obviously together, or even better, of children working together, standing smiling together.
I will be very happy to receive feedback on any of these elements. I will bother you all in the next few weeks - trying to secure locations and people to shoot this and asking you for short interviews.
3 comments:
HIHI
Primero, probably UNHCR has a library of footage from the field from which you can choose images of men and women doing things together.
Segundo, i find very effective an initial counter point, i don't know how to explain. The video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zKfF40jeCA has some of it. You first flash through what you want to prevent, change, in this case, violence against women, with images, music, strips of fast video, and then you jump in a calmer more harmonious part, doing things together.
Tercero, the message, starts with me, you, us. Maybe the message is stronger if you put the Starts with ME. In english, writing "starts with US", reads like "starts with U.S.", it's a very unfortunate similarity. I understand it's a community action, that everybody needs to do it together, all. But i don't know what is best, me, you or us. Hos would that impact in the refugees' population? Maybe starts with me is very indidualistic western approach.
Cuarto, great sequence of activities!!!! I would change the one with a couple playing with their kids, to one of a man and a women parenting, doing all the chores of a household, a man talking to his daughter, a women to her son, etc.
Quinta, have you thought of doing some animations or simple drawings? it's easy to produce in terms of materials and space.
Et derniére, i can help looking for pictures up for you, as a complement to your production.
buona sera!
javier
Grrrrrreaat Javi - that gives it more of an edge. I'll write this as a separate post - I don't think people can really see the comments. THANK YOU!!
ohoh!
i hadn't seen that you posted this in another independent comment. As i hadn't received any comment from you (yes, i think people don't see the commentS! i have to say that Facebook is much more efficient this way)
sanks!!!
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