Lights, Camera, Sharjah!
MARHABA!
Marhaba? Yes. Marhaba! - It is an Arabic word and it means “Welcome”; it is used to wish someone warmth and happiness upon their arrival. And that is one of the key values of Lights Camera Learn.
Day 4: Filming with the stars. Getting all the final shots to finish the movie.
5 Days. 4 Short Films. 3 Teams. 2 Themes. 1 Goal.
For the second time in the United Arab Emirates (because once is never enough)- LCL fused the love of Edutainment with the Arabic culture and history scene to create an array of funny, gritty and terrifyingly-addictive short films.
Day 1. Filling out the Stars’ Handbook; getting to know one another and our roles
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
― Aristotle
In collaboration with FUNN - Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, and Emirates Red Crescent, Lights, Camera, Learn had organized a weeklong program immersing children in filmmaking activities that aimed to both empower and educate them. The goal by the end of the week was to write, create, and act out movies or music videos of their own making.
Day 3: Filming with the stars for the ‘Listen’ script.
Why Sharjah?
The city of Sharjah is renowned for its commitment to art and culture, and the city has also done well to preserve its local heritage. In 1998, the city was rewarded with the title: ‘Cultural Capital of the Arab World’ by UNESCO. Did you know that Sharjah is the home of the majority of UAE’s museums? 20+ hubs for various aspects of heritage/ history/ culture and traditions of the UAE.
Thus, it was only logical to embed ourselves amongst this oyster. We filmed in the Sharjah Art Foundation. It presented a range of activities and events throughout the year including film screenings, performances, music, artist talks as well as art education programs for children, adults and families.
We grouped the children in groups of 8, two Edutainers per group. What happened next? Magic. The incredible thing about children is their inability to stop thinking. Inquisitiveness is their supernova and creativity is the lighter fluid. The stars and their team of Edutainers exhausted every possible idea of Emirati Culture/Heritage and History.
Day 2: Plotting the script and establishing the structure
Don’t believe us? Watch them.
Good stuff. Wasn’t it? I told you so.
So naturally, a big thank you to the crew. 8 different nationalities ranging from the ages of 16-27, working together to create these masterpieces within a span of 7 days. Some juggling a job, some school, Some college, some Uni and all of them consistently reading, writing, shooting, editing and re-editing to make this whole thing possible.