She's Not Alone: Online Launch

You can now watch She's Not Alone online!

Inspired by a true story: Names have been changed

Lina has recently moved to Melbourne from Geelong and plans to experience the city’s queer party scene wth her friends. But a rideshare driver's controlling behaviour and outright violation of her right to feel safe, leaves Lina feeling isolated and traumatised.

When Lina reaches out to her family, confronts the rideshare driver, and shares her story online she regains a measure of control. Lina’s story ultimately assists rideshare companies to establish safer and more inclusive service design and communicates the power of survivor storytelling to shape, strengthen and challenge the status quo.

Visit admscentre.org/shesnotalone OR: click here

A very big thank you to everyone involved!

Cast: Michelle Keating & Alex Thomson
Producers: Jeni Lee, Dr Emma Quilty, Isabella Conti-Morato
Associate Producers: Zoe Condliffe, Isabelle Fisher
Collaborators: She’s A Crowd, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society (ADM+S,)
Monash University's Emerging Technologies Research Lab⁠
Research Consultants:Prof Sarah Pink, Dr Thao Phan
DoP, Gaffer, Grip: ⁠Tom Hodge
Gaffer, Grip: Dylan Eagle
First AD: Veronika Chekmareva
Script Supervisor/2nd AD: Torum Heng
Sound Recordist: Yiduo (Paul) Dong
Set design: Chi-uh Neylon
Graphics: Lucy Tsuchida
Rideshare portal design: Jiyoon Lee
Music Composition: Aurora Conway & Jason Sweeney
Post Sound Editor: Ella Neumann

She's Not Alone: Screening in Melbourne

Is ridesharing safe? Trustworthy?

We've partnered with She's A Crowd, a social enterprise working to end gender-based violence, to investigate the use of automated decision-making (ADM) within the rideshare sector.

If you are in Melbourne this Friday at 4.15pm we have a special screening at the symposium on 'Future Automated Mobilities’ feat. our new docudrama created in collaboration with Emma Quilty, ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society and She's A Crowd.
A big shout out to our collaborators: Isabella Conti-Morato, Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University , Sarah Pink, Thao Phan, Zoe Condliffe, Torum Heng, Veronika Chekmareva, Yiduo (Paul) Dong, Chi-uh Neylon, Ella Neumann

Storey Hall, RMIT, Oct 21. 4.15pm

Flightpaths, Freeways and Railroads broadcast on SBS

So happy to share Micaela and Orhan's films on SBS today. Micaela and Orhan are both blind. Each take a different approach to everyday travel and have valuable insight to share on how they would best travel about freely in the future. Tune in if you can! The films will be broadcast with audio descriptions for blind audiences. You can also watch them on demand here.

‘Flightpaths, Freeways and Railroads’ is collaborative project with our team from Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University , Jeni Lee, Sarah Pink, Thao Phan, and Emma Quilty as well as key project participants, Brenton Lillecrapp, Micaela Schmidt, Orhan Karagoz and Darren Moyle.

This project was funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence Automated Decision Making + Society.

Launch: Flightpaths, Freeways and Railroads

Flightpaths, Freeways and Railroads has been acquired by SBS for national broadcast and to host on the SBS on demand platform.

This collection of three, five-minute films take us on a journey with two blind and one deaf person as they move around urban and regional spaces. The short films illustrate the challenges and opportunities that emerging technologies pose for diverse groups as they move throughout the city.

Micaela is a blind advocate and access consultant living in the regional twin towns of Albury-Wodonga. This film reveals that she won’t be replacing her guide dog with a robot anytime soon. 

Brenton is a learning mentor who lives and works in Adelaide. This short film explores some of the difficulties he faces driving himself around, as well as his vision for the future of transport. 

Orhan, an anthropologist from the northern suburbs of Melbourne, tries out some Orientation and Mobility apps with his Vision Australia trainer, Darren. Orhan reinforces the need to keep humans in the loop when it comes to transport mobilities for the blind.

The first transmission is scheduled for October 10.

‘Flightpaths, Freeways and Railroads’ is collaborative project with our team from the Emerging Technologies lab at Monash University, Jeni Lee, Sarah Pink, Thao Phan, and Emma Quilty as well as key project participants, Brenton Lillecrapp, Micaela Schmidt, Orhan Karagoz and Darren Moyle. 

Illustration: Jan Rothuizen and Animation: Franka Wiggers

This project was funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence 
Automated Decision Making + Society 

HIGHWAY TO THE SKY COLLAB: THE ART TO WELLBEING

Thrilled to be filming with registered Art Therapist Isabelle Ashford (The Art to Wellbeing), Eleanor Perkins, Micheal Noble & Alexandra Hill for a new project, Highway to the Sky. This short film documents a speculative arts workshop with neuro-diverse participants as they use painting and stop motion to explore how they would like to travel in the future.

STILL I RISE IS COMPLETE

Still I Rise aims to restore dignity and rights to survivors of sex trafficking. West Bengal has one of the world’s highest rates of sex trafficking because of porous borders with Nepal and Bangladesh, high unemployment and poverty. Most often girls are trafficked by local people they trust, who promise them a better life, wages and more freedom. The trauma does not end when they are rescued, with many girls stigmatised by police and shelter home staff. At home, survivors face physical violence, isolation, stigma, shame and guilt, perpetuated by their own family members and neighbours. Still I Rise champions positive role models who support the girls’ reintegration with their communities.

Terre des hommes Foundation and their partners will host community film screenings of the film and facilitate discussions around stigmatisation in West Bengal. In addition to the development of the film, our crowdfunding campaign enabled the purchase of a portable projector and screen to make these screenings possible. We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all of the donors and volunteers who contributed. This film was only made possible with your generosity and support.

This film is a creative collaboration between writer/director Jeni Lee and Terre des hommes in India. The 2d animation was created by Ghost animation, an inspiring collective of animators, artists and filmmakers based in Kolkata. Acclaimed musician and composer, Dr Rajeeb Chakraborty composed the music for the short film. Rajeeb's sensitivity to the material has resulted in a beautiful composition for the film that truly takes the viewer on a journey. Sound design was completed by Tom Heuzenroeder, whose attention to detail is just awesome. Sieh Mchawala shot the highly cinematic live footage for the film, and a cast of untrained actors bought the story to life. A heartfelt thank you to: Gayathri Govindarajan, Gitanjali Ravikumar, Sakshi Talati, Shweta Trivedi and Bhakti Vanik who featured in the survivors scene, Pradip Thomas for playing the uncle, Ameya Deshmukh who played the brother and Debashis Sarker who played Baba. A very special thank you to Swastika Samanta who volunteered as the lead actor, voice over artist and translator. Jodie Lea Martire provided script editing, along with Kyra Marwaha, and Paulami de Sarkar at Tdh in India.

Please feel free to share this short film among your networks, every share will assist us to promote positive gender models in West Bengal and worldwide.

Still I Rise fundraising campaign

I am very excited to be working on this short film project with Terre des hommes foundation in India. We are currently running a fundraising campaign, Any support you are able to offer will assist us to create an effective tool, countering the stigmatisation faced by survivors of trafficking:  https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/still-i-rise/

Namrah the Brave survived being trafficked, but now she faces stigma - how will she rise up and own her name?

Girls from West Bengal are among the world’s most vulnerable to sex trafficking, because of porous borders to Bangladesh and Nepal. With the Covid-19 lockdown and the impact of Cyclone Amphan in late May 2020, the already vulnerable population has been pulled further into poverty, and young girls are at even greater risk of being trafficked. The trauma of trafficking does not end when – if – a survivor is rescued. At home, survivors are blamed for what happened to them. They face physical violence, isolation, stigma, shame and guilt, often perpetrated by their own family and neighbours. This animated short film advocates globally to restore dignity and rights to survivors of sex trafficking. It will also be screened locally, to champion positive role models who support girls during their reintegration.

"But when I came home, some kids started calling me names. They called me ‘kharap mey’, a bad girl. The neighbours said I would never be married now.  My brother was angry at me.  He would hit me and say I had shamed the family."

 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has its foundation in the simple idea that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. Globally, survivors of trafficking find their trauma compounded by stigma, shame and isolation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Evidence shows that by championing positive gender and social norms in a community, survivors are increasingly accepted and can reclaim their lives as equal citizens and community members. In the long term, this project aims to:

·      reduce rates of trafficking,

·      create positive social and gender norms both within India and globally,

·      and relieve girls of shame.

"When I am overwhelmed by the bullying and the names people call me, I stand strong and remember all the people who believe in me. I think of Amma naming me after a tigress, and I know I am Namrah, the brave."

 Donate now to speak out for trafficking survivors >> https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/still-i-rise/

#bethechange #filmforacause #donate #stillirise

KABADDI FOR EMPOWERMENT

Girls from West Bengal are some of the world’s most vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation and child marriage. But one feisty group of girls have returned to the ancient sport of Kabaddi, to build resilience. In this male dominated sport, a lone ‘raider’, takes on 7 defenders, tagging as many as possible without being tackled. The technique is described as Raid, defend, revive, repeat.

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) and Praajak, with support from Comic Relief are implementing a 3 year project, ‘Kabaddi for Empowerment’, in 3 towns in West Bengal. The project uses Kabaddi, as well as targeted study circles, to promote self-efficacy and resilience in girls, assisting them to make better choices especially around their personal safety, delaying marriages and staying in school. In this way the program tackles high rates of human trafficking, sexual abuse and child marriage in the region.

I have been working with Tdh and Prajaak for 3 months now, to create 2 films challenging restrictive and damaging gender norms in the region. Girls who are making positive changes are highlighted in the films as role models or champions to promote further empowerment for girls in the community.

Hasina's father wouldn’t allow her to join the local Kabaddi team. He had arranged for her to be married and believed playing sport would bring shame on her and her family. Hasina went on a hunger strike for three days and her father finally let her join the team. One year later she has been selected for the district team and will play for her state. The marriage is on hold as she pursues her dream to be a national champion.

You can support the work of Terre des hommes in India, here.

BAREFOOT INITIATIVE IN ETHIOPIA

Sieh has recently returned from the Afar region of Ethiopia, where he was travelling with long time friends and the stars of one of his first ever films, Barefoot in Ethiopia. The initial film followed a courageous young brother/sister team, Aidan and Kyra Glasby as they struggled with the reality of setting up their own aid organisation in the middle of the desert. Since then the organisation has continued to be a big inspiration to us both. Aidan and Kyra have returned each year for 15 years now, always with assorted children and dedicated family members on board - This year it was Aidan and his partner Lexi, baby Aila and year 12 student, Bianca.

Barefoot initiative focus on community driven incremental change. The region still faces immense challenges, including years of drought and a recent outbreak of cholera. The initial water cart designs featured in our doco 10 years ago have been refined and the new design has proven to be bullet proof. This trip a number of the carts were distributed to blind and disabled community members. The key focus was however checking in on the nursing students the team sponsor. The student project has been running since 2010 and the benefits from early graduates are already starting to flow into the community. Follow Barefoot Initiative on Instagram, or pay their website a visit.

DOGS EXHIBITION OPEN

The dogs exhibition has opened at the SA museum, with 5 of our films showing the human side of the story - the special bond people share with their dogs.

The exhibition shows a diversity of dog breeds from the inside out, and also touches on some of the ethical concerns of dog breeding. The question is raised, what responsibility do people have if they start designing their own desired breed of dog?

“It’s showing how we’ve interreacted with dogs and helped them become our best friend, from early domestication and how that occurred, through to the diverse range we’ve got now. You also find out that there are certain dog breeds that have died out because of modernisation – there used to be a breed of dogs that turned the meat on a spit. Once that got mechanised, no one needed them anymore, so they don’t exist!” Rowan Moore, 3d design officer SAM.

According to Walter Marsh at the Adelaide Review, ‘All of which goes to show that while dogs may be man’s best friend, perhaps we haven’t always been theirs’.

AVA CEREMONY

Last weekend I was very lucky to have the opportunity to film the first ever traditional Samoan Ava ceremony performed in Brisbane. The event was hosted by the Pasifika Young Peoples Wellbeing Network, a motivated group of young people who are keeping Pasifika Wellbeing and cultural traditions on the agenda. If you are interested to know more about what they are doing you can find them here.

FRESH CREW RADIO

This month I worked on a research project with DJ’s Frosty, Tim, Soti and Shana from Fresh Crew Radio in Brissy and was blown away by their energy and insight. Our student team from UQ teamed up with QUT public Health to explore what Pasifika youth in Brisbane identify as important to their well-being. We used story, participatory video, and a river of life activity to reflect on challenges, assets and recommendations for Pasifika youth. The research confirmed that stereotypes, stigmatisation and racism remain key challenges, as well as identity and belonging. Dreams the group identified for the future included achieving wider representation in the work force and breaking the silence around mental health. Frosty, Tim, Soti and Shana called out to their listeners to challenge a tradition of ‘toxic positivity’ where there is a culture of good vibes only and to regularly check in with friends. Most importantly, sensitive issues that exist in the Pasifika community were debated bringing the radio crew and their audience to agree that it is important that ways are found to make it easier to discuss mental health challenges. A big thank you to Elske Van de Fliert, Sarai Tafa and Jo Durham who were brilliant guides in the research process.

Photo taken by Jeni Lee at Pasifika Vibes, 2019

REBELLIOUS ACTS, SMALL STANDS AND MINI REVOLUTIONS

I am fascinated by the small stands people take against the things that trouble them, especially when they stage a stunt in the public eye. I am a strong believer that cultural shifts come through incremental changes. One day I would like to publish a book of photos of people around the world making small stands and staging their own mini revolutions! If you have any ideas for your own rebellious act I would love to talk to you about it…

Aaliya stages a small stand against plastic in the oceans.

Rag-time online

Jai Lee specialises in upbeat swing and contemporary music for solo piano. He works as a freelance gigging musician, street performer, and composer.  I have always loved making promos for fringe artists and filming shows. I am a strong believer that the arts make the world a better place. Art either acts as a hammer to shape reality or as a mirror to reflect it. From provocative to meditative, the arts have a purpose. Music, art, theatre and dance, can all provoke us to think deeper and explore new ideas. Artists can inspire us to make changes in our life, or simply put a smile on our face at the end of a long day. As long as there are radical leaders and regimes and inequality in the world there will be radical artists, prepared like revolutionaries to be on the frontline of change. And they do start conversations. It has been said that ‘the Arts should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed’. Ultimately I believe that together the power of reflective art and provocative art can help to instigate incremental social change.  I recently created this website for emerging Adelaide musician Jai Lee, who composes contemporary swing style songs for piano. Have a listen on his website, and soon you will be able to purchase his first album there too.

DOGS: A STORY OF OUR BEST FRIEND

We are very happy to be working with the SA museum again this year on short films for their upcoming dogs exhibition. Our focus is the heart-felt connection people have with their dogs and it has given us the opportunity to meet a fascinating collection of dog lovers, owners, trainers and activists. We recently visited Mundubbera in Queensland to film a family of cattle dogs in action. We have filmed with a young girl in Adelaide and her diabetic alert dog, a Whippet breeder in Brissie and working sheep dogs in rural South Australia. What I really enjoy about working with the museum is how much they love to keep it real. They value authentic portraits of everyday life with more in common with the slow film movement than commercial spin. Look out for the upcoming show at the SA Museum: Dogs, a story of our best friend.

Communication for Social Change studies

As a documentary film maker committed to creating impact with my work, I was very excited to discover the masters in Communication for Social change in Brisbane. The Centre of CSC is based at the University of Queensland and is a tight knit group of committed academics, practitioners and students connected by a drive to make a difference. Our little family is moving to Brisbane so I can have a crack at this masters! I am really excited to combine the practice of documentary with some participatory development work. It is a great opportunity to step up the research side of our work and focus on creating real impact. If you are interested in the course at UQ, read more about the centre of CSC here.

Thanks to Lydia Hooper for this graphic.

HEART OF GOLD

Grass-roots Community Development in Action

Echunga, the Peramangk word for 'close by’, is a small town in the Adelaide Hills. Our little family have lived and loved it here for ten years. It is a peaceful retreat where we edit our films and raise our children. The residents are a resourceful bunch, many of them collect their own rainwater as well as roadside firewood in the frosty winters and deal with their own waste. Local resident Rachel Ventor and I have been collecting images of our small town to create this website together, celebrating what the community has to offer.

The site is for the Echunga Community Association, also known as Heart of Gold, a grass-roots organisation who have been working tirelessly to host events and create bridges within the community. The website has been created to help create a strong sense of community and inspire residents to come together and realise their aspirations for the future of this small and increasingly diverse town.

Echunga.org

ERUB ARTS, Torres Strait

DOP Gus Kemp and I spent a week interviewing and filming artists on Erub island for this Closer films production and enjoyed an insightful experience of island life on the Torres Strait. Island life has its own rhythm and pace and is intimately connected with the ocean and the land. It was a privilege to witness the Erub Arts Collaborative create the intricate ghost net sculptures they are famous for. Internationally recognised for their woven ghost net works, the centre’s artists draw their inspiration from the surrounding ocean and reef. The arts centre is a rich source of cultural knowledge, contemporary art and artefacts. The artists all work together ‘to maintain a strong Erubian identity, by promoting … culture in a contemporary way through art.’ Spending time filming the artists on Erub Island taught me new creative ways people can play a role in protecting the places they live.

‘We are all connected by the world’s oceans’

Florence Gutcheon, Erub Island artist.

TARNANTHI

In June this year I was privileged to visit Yirkalla community in Arnhem Land to do some filming for the Tarnanthi arts festival. Walking into the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre in Yirkalla is breathtaking. A remote and proud community surrounded by Top End termite mounds, pandanus, forest fires and croc filled water holes, the arts centre is an inspired explosion of bark art, ochres and burial poles. Yirkalla is home to the original bark painting presented to Parliament to begin the first land title claim in Australia. An inspiring location to be filming elder and acclaimed artist, Nawurapu Wunungmurra as he passed on his knowledge of carving Mukoy (spirits) to his grandson. This beautiful film was produced and edited by Closer Productions and filmed by Gus Kemp.

MAMA CECILIA

Travelling with BKFA in Uganda we met the most incredible role model, Mama Cecilia, a powerhouse in her own right, mother and grandmother of many, and long time activist for women’s rights. Mama Cecilia started Teso Women’s Peace Activists in her own home district in regional Uganda. She has fought for land rights for women, and the right for women to have safe births and to be free from domestic violence. Droughts have recently impacted the area, and Mama Cecilia’s team continue, with the resources they can pull together, to travel to remote areas reminding women to speak up about their rights in the most challenging of environments. I am reminded of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s belief: “Stories can be used to empower and humanise. Stories can repair broken dignity”. I am hoping one day I can return and spend more time exploring more of what Mama Cecilia and TEWPA do.

“We have given the women the sense

to demand what is rightly theirs”.

Mama Cecilia