Project in progress – an animation and documentary project with a participatory focus made with a group of school children in Mlali, a village in Tanzania, East Africa. We look forward to seeing the outcome, here’s a little about their project:

Central to the project will be an ethic of collaboration, where a group of community members will be encouraged, through the use of small camcorders, to document life as they see it. We will carry out animation, character design and story telling classes in the school, and characters designed by the children will feature in the final cut. The completed film will be made up of the community’s footage, material detailing the filming process and the animation. Because of this format, we will go to Tanzania, not with a set story line or definite point of interest, but with a framework through which community members can develop their own narratives and express their own interests and stories.

The final film, edited and produced partly in Mlali with community members, will consist of an intersection of these narratives, both in film and animated format. On returning to the UK, by entering the film into festivals and shows, we hope to reflect to a global audience a genuine portrayal of every-day life in East Africa, as well as the creativity and vibrancy that exists there.

http://www.indiegogo.com/maisha