Usisahau kutumia kondomu

It has been some very exiting days at the Bongo camp site. We have started filming a small educational campaign addressing issues about HIV/AIDS, with the motto Usisahau kutumia kondomu (don’t forget condoms).

The Bongo Dox team have written three short films (infomercials) designed for Tanzanian television. One about the proper use of condoms, one about local myths and one about the ways you can contract HIV/AIDS. Producing the campaign is an exercise that can help the Bongo Dox team, when they are going to undertake a longer video project about HIV/AIDS, in the year 2012.

It has been a pleasure to see how much the team have developed and the enthusiasm with which they have taken on the task. Making an instructional video about the proper use of condoms can be somewhat of a delicate matter, but the team have received a lot of education regarding this issue, and they are most certainly not shy. The manuscript quickly came to include a very blunt instruction on how to proper use a condom, using a wooden penis replica as an instrument for demonstration. For theatrical effect the video was shot in a tent with one of the crewmembers as a leading actor. It might be a little over the top for Tanzanian television, but it has really shown the creativity and the capability of the team.

The workshops will soon come to an end, and it will be sad to leave. It has truly been a privilege to be received so open-hearted at the campsite, and work with a group of young people, that are so willing to learn and develop their skills.

Working with the Bongo Dox team

My name is Jakob Nielsen and I have had the privilege of working with the Bongo Dox team for the last week, teaching them various aspects of movie production. The Bongodox team consists of young, hardworking, and talented people who are on their way to becoming professional filmmakers. To sharpen the teams abilities and nurture their creativity, we go through small exercises everyday; writing, filming and editing small films.

We have finished a few films but at the movement our internet is not at YouTube capacity, so you will have to wait a little to see some of the short films, that among others, include an introduction to the Bongo Camp, and an action packed kung fu battle, called Manyoga Style (Snake Style).
The next couple of days we will work with one of the core themes for the Bongo Dox team; HIV/AIDS. The participants have been discussing ideas for a small video campaign concerning the issue, and the next couple of days, we are going to make them come to life and compose small films for a campaign.

The Bongo Camp is truly and amazing place, and right now we are in the editing face of a movie that displays all of the beautiful nature that surrounds us. On this project we have my esteemed colleague Mr. Shime in charge of the editing, and the result is looking really good so far.

The team has really progressed over the last couple of days both in the class room working with theory, in the field filming, and in the editing room. We will keep you updated and hopefully be ready to upload some movies soon.

Visiting film experts

During December we´ll have a special series of posts written by visiting film experts at Bongodox. From their point of view they will highlight examples of what is going on at Bongodox.


There are now two film experts visiting at Bongodox. Beside having mr. Shime from Mbeya City, yesterday Bongodox welcomed mr. Jakob from Denmark.

8th December 2011 at Bongodox. Centre: Jakob. Right: Luka, Bongodox supervisor

The local host prepared a reception for Jakob which took place yesterday. It was a fine reception, not least due to the fact that project visitors from as far away as Denmark don´t just pop in every month. It was also creating positive vibes across the project participants and other members of the local civil society organization (Kumbe) owning the project.

8th Dec. 2011: reception of Danish film expert Jakob at Bongodox, Bongo Camping in Tukuyu

Recordings for two documentary films have already been made, and the first period of editing has begun at Bongodox. As stated above, in the coming days at this blog we hope to post highlights and examples of what is actually happening when film experts and the participants of Bongodox are exchanging relevant knowledge about film production.

Bongodox interpreter Michae (left) translating for Danish film expert Jakob and the participants of Bongodox

Bongodox pedalling for development

Maulid Yahaya - Camera Man, Bongodox

Bongodox has been pedalling a lot during the last two months, and we have survived our share of road accidents and malaria attacks. Our main transport is bicycles, as our budget is low. Our visual talent and camera man Maulid Yahaya hit the dust roads five times during this period!

However, we keep up hopes. Attendance of participants is good, people have received us well in the villages, and as the district authorities have now given us a formal permission, on the side of tourism, to film in Rungwe district, we are happy and comfortable with this situation. A respectful relation to the local and district authorities is part of the forward way for us.

From left: Ima, Maulid and William at work in Bongodox

The outcome so far: We have recorded and stored spectacular video sequences showing 12 natural and cultural attractions around the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Furthermore we have conducted interviews with the main stakeholders of tourism and the environment in the villages at stake.

And so we are now ready to begin the first narrating and editing phase targeting the production of two documentaries about tourism and environment. Preparations have gone well for this matter. As part of the preparations, we have managed to invite two film experts to join during December; mr. Shime from Mbeya City and mr. Jakob from Denmark. This is a happy moment to us, because we believe that we can learn a lot through exchange of expertise.

  

Film expert Shime (right) with Bongodox supervisor Luka (left)

Photos in this blog post by the Bongodox Team in Rungwe District of Tanzania

September Workshops

One of the visitors at Bongodox in September 2011

Bongodox is on the way, heading for new documentary productions. During September the Bongodox team has been active inviting visitors in order to exchange experience and build a positive relation to the local government. Throughout this month there has been a lot of communication going on in the villages where interviews will be carried out for the first two documentaries on Environment and Tourism. One month of exchange and communication has layed a foundation of understanding between Bongodox and the people who are directly or indirectly concerned with environmental and tourism development in the district. Hopefully this will help the team succeeding in the coming camera exercises starting in October.

Bongo Camping hosting a new Bongodox team

We are happy to announce that, after the first Bongodox documentary film from 2010, Bongodox is getting ready for new productions, supported by Bongo Development Tourism with a grant from The Project Fund which is financed by The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DANIDA) and administered by The Project Advice and Training Centre (Projektrådgivningen). At the platform Bongo Camping preparations have started for the production of two documentary films on tourism and environment, one documentary film on HIV/AIDS and a music video with Kisamakibo band. The new project also includes an education tour and distribution of the mentioned music video. (Bongodox 2 Project description)

The objectives of Bongodox

Film production and poverty

For girls, youths and villagers

The objectives of Bongodox

Bongodox is a young African film production group operating from Bongo Camping in Mbeya Region of Tanzania (www.bongocamping.com). The group is owned by the African civil society organisation KUMBE. Supported by the Danish partner Bongo Development Tourism, KUMBE´s film activities are making a difference in development. To our knowledge there are no other film producers in the district actively presenting and debating the realities of HIV transmission and environmental degradation. The Mbeya region is among the worst affected areas as regards the number of HIV-infected, and the lack of openness towards this problem only adds to the complexity of the situation. In KUMBE’s first HIV/AIDS documentary, a man infected with HIV shares his point of view on the HIV-situation in the next village. He claims that only very few people in the village have the courage to speak openly about their life with HIV and that he is aware of several HIV-infected who decline to undergo testing and receive medication from the local hospital. Through the film media his message is reaching a considerable number of people. In the new project, KUMBE will carry on and extend this process toward greater openness to more parts of the district.

Film production and poverty

Film production could play a significant role in the efforts to combat poor living conditions and present the youth with opportunities. Groups of civil society who carry the responsibility to advocate for the poor, can exploit the film media in order to spread messages and confront society and its leaders with challenges that must find common solutions. The poorest people need civil society to make room for their perspectives on the visual media stage. As a civil society group KUMBE takes this opportunity to shed light on the problems most fiercely effecting the poor majority of Mbeya Region. The aim of KUMBE´s film production is to make the voice of the poor come through. The poorest people must be the ones who profit from this enterprise.

During the scheduled education tour of Bongodox, the project participants will set out to strengten the dialogue between KUMBE and those marginalized groups of the society who are mostly excluded from desicion making processes. One of the target groups is girls/women who often take the blame for being the root of HIV transmission, in spite of the fact that men according to the tradition are free to choose sexual partners as they please. In relation to both HIV and environmental issues girls/women typically have less influence than men. The project will address this reality by producing films in which the roles and voices of girls/women receive attention. Another target group is the youth. In Tanzania one third of the population is young people aged between 10 and 24, and so the future country depends on them, regarding health and society´s unity and coherence. This reality will be reflected in the new productions. The perspectives of young people will also get attention during film events at 12 secondary schools in Rungwe District.

For girls, youths and villagers

The participants of the Bongodox project are eight members of KUMBE, among whom might be several participants from the Bongodox training period in 2010. The band Kisamakibo will be a partner in the music video production included in the new project. In general the Bongodox project builds on previously established cooperation, which will make it possible to exploit the resources and skills available in KUMBE. The primary target group for the Bongodox project is citizens of Mbeya Region. These citizens are economically and educationally weak, and in their lives they must cope with the threat of HIV/AIDS. The new project will consider young people (aged between 15 and 25), citizens from village areas and finally girls/women. There will be efforts to make girls/women a part of crucial debates. At schools the project will contribute knowledge about society´s present challenges like HIV and environmental degradation, education which is lacking due to poor shool budgets. The pupils are motivated to learn more about protection from HIV, and they are curious to know how local environmental innovations are developing. Their strenght is to comprehend and learn quickly, especially through modern media, and this became clear to KUMBE during three film events conducted at local schools during February and March 2011. The target groups will benefit from the Bongodox project in several ways, as the basic means of Bongodox is to build on interaction positively enhanced by the inspiring atmosphere of film media.

For more info: Read the Bongodox 2 project description