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Beyond Borders
What do youth truly fear? How do they build security in their lives?
Recently, ListenUp!, an international network of young filmmakers invited teens from Guatemala, Ukraine, United Kingdom, South Korea, India, Colombia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and the United States to tackle these questions on film.
The project, called "Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet," consisted of teams from each country producing short documentaries that courageously examine what youth most fear and how they continue to build security in their lives, families and communities. The teams produced a total of fifteen short films.
One, produced by the iEARN Sierra Leone, tells the story of Mohamed Sidibay who only two years earlier was commanding rebel troops in Western Africa. Sidibay describes the devastation of war and growing up as child soldier in Sierra Leone. Today, he uses the power of the Internet to help design www.childsoldiers.org and let the world know about his experiences.
In another documentary, set in the streets of Jordan, 16-year-old Ghayda sees a divided society with two faces, modern and traditional. The differences are striking, from the way people dress and how leisure time is spent, to relationships between family members and personal views of the world. She worries that misunderstandings about her generation’s beliefs and values are driving a wedge into Jordan’s fragile society.
All fifteen films continue to be aired on the Independent Film Channel. Taken together, they offer a new sense of optimism and hope about our world, at the same time that they tug at our hearts.
Here are two films from the “Beyond Borders” collection.
Ji-Hee’s Candlelight
Ji-Hee, a 16 year-old high school student in South Korea, let very little
come between herself and her studies. But in June 2002 her world
changed forever when two 13 year-old schoolgirls were run over by a U.S.
Military armed vehicle. The deaths shook Ji-Hee, and like many students
across the Korean Peninsula, she wanted answers to why the U.S. Military
is stationed in South Korea. She also started worrying about the real
possibility of war with North Korea and began to play an active role in the
anti-war movement. She uses her knowledge to help end the threat of
violence and create a secure future for people across Korea.
Fires Over England
When the Foot and Mouth epidemic hit Britain in 2001, it seemed like
nothing could stop it. The government slaughtered millions of animals
and we could even smell the smoke from burning pyres in our
classrooms. Friends were stuck on their farms, the countryside was
closed and the tourism industry was badly hit. Scared and angry, we
were determined to find out all we could about Foot and Mouth disease.
The more we researched, the more we learned about how fear about
Foot and Mouth created far more damage than the disease itself. “Fires
Over England” is about communication and sharing knowledge. Dialogue
is essential in order to create real security and to protect our way of life
in rural England.
More films:
Media that Matters Film Festival >>
Still Standing >>
School As Subject >>