The surprising outcome of a documentary workshop by DW Akademie’s Asia division

The best stories can be found on the street. That’s a well worn saying but it’s true – at least in the eyes of a documentary filmmaker. Some of DW Akademie’s trainees discovered one of those stories waiting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

She’s the “sweet soup seller” and you can’t miss her. She sets up shop outside the broadcasting center and we always see her during our workshop breaks. She packs everything she needs for her “mobile restaurant” in big baskets balanced on a bamboo pole – typical for Vietnam street vendors. Her specialties are sweet snacks and desserts …

It’s more than obvious that the staff at the state TV broadcaster VTV loves her sweet soya broth, green and brown beans cooked in sugar, mango puree with ice and homemade lime custard. At lunchtime her colorful plastic stools quickly fill up and her numerous pots overflow with ingredients. The customer-service concept behind the portable dessert bar corresponds to the well-established western coffee shops and fast food chains in the country: you can have your goodies on the spot or for take away – in a handy plastic cup with a spoon and small bag.

We decide that this hardworking, talkative woman is perfect for one of our hands-on exercises. On the second day of our “Short Documentaries” workshop some participants spend an afternoon observing her with the camera. So far, there’s no storyboard or script: participants have to shoot simple actions in short sequences: A mango puree with ice in three cuts.

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For the ninth year in a row, DW-AKADEMIE is conducting a special film festival and event management training in cooperation with the annual Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale. And, the last few weeks have been action-packed for the participants in Berlin during the festival.

The workshop is specifically designed for managers and organizers of film festivals in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Every year it’s a red-carpet intensive training to discuss festival planning, marketing strategies, and ideas to boost the genre of local film-making in developing regions and networking in the name of cinematic impact.

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In recent months we’ve kept track of the African Stories training workshops that have been conducted around the continent with partner African TV broadcasters. And recently the first television co-production feature with DW-TV has been broadcast on the Global 3000 programme.

A team from the Tunisian broadcaster Télévision Tunisienne took on a very hot topic: rappers and their role during the revolution in Tunisia.

Check out it and let us know what you think!

Produced by:
Taha Jemai (Reporter)
Amine Ben Ahmed (Camera)
Ali Addala (Video Editor)

Trois femmes pour un même obectif: Réaliser un film pour le projet Histoires Africaines (African Stories, read in English). L’équipe de la Radio Télévision Sénégalaise composée de Bineta Wague (journaliste), Aminata Wade (camera) et Khady Racine Diop (montage) a été séléctionnée pour produire un reportage en collaboration avec la DW-AKADEMIE.

Ces trois Sénégalaises ont été retenues à l’issu de l’atelier “Histoires Africaines” à Dakar. Leur film sera diffusé non seulement à la RTS mais aussi à la DW-TV dans le cadre de Global 3000. Le tournage s’est déroulé dans la mangrove de Toubacouta – un lieu difficile pour ce genre de travail. C’est justement là, que Babou Diallo a interviewé les trois femmes.

Ecoutez ci-dessous Bineta, Aminata et Khady!
Interview Sénégal by dwakademie

Film à voir prochainement sur notre blog!

Once again the Berlinale is bringing together film-makers, critics and fans from all over the world. Every year to coincide with this important film festival, the DW-AKADEMIE conducts an intensive five week workshop: Film Festival and Film Management for young festival promoters from Africa and Asia.

Arthur Mataruse from Capetown, South Africa, and Luzviminda Casagan from Pesay City in the Philippines are among the participants. Mataruse works for Encounters and the Out in Africa Film Festivals and Casagan works for the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

We spoke to both of them to find out more about film festivals and film-making in their home countries.

How would you describe the importance of films in your home country?

Arthur Mataruse: For us, films mainly play the role of strengthening culture and common identity in South Africa. Our aim is also to show other cultures and lifestyles.

Luzviminda Casagan: In the Philippines, fewer people are going to the cinema. One reason is because films are easier to find on DVD or on the internet. That means it's more difficult for film-makers to distribute and sell their films. Our aim with the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival is to support young Filipino film-makers whose films provide new insights and pursue new concepts, especially to promote art and culture.

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