Azul!
Azul!
This summer was life-changing, because we re-connected with our roots, through filmmaking. Below is the story of how it all happened.
Tunisia is a very diverse place that has hosted a mixture of cultures that have shaped us including Turkish, European, and Arab influences. This year, Lights Camera Learn went back to the native North African tribes to honor our origins.
That's why we picked the Amazigh culture as the Theme of this Year.
As a participant, I was utterly amazed throughout the session with the number of things I learned that had Amazigh origins in my culture. During the training days we went over food, language, traditions, music and fashion. I saw how ingrained our modern culture is with our Amazigh past.
“Back To our Roots”
The Tunisian Amazigh culture is forgotten and a neglected subject especially in Tunisia but LCL chose to represent it and teach the youth about their roots. I can proudly say that we, the 2022 LCL Tunis crew, succeeded in accomplishing our mission.
We were able to immerse ourselves in a forgotten culture that we grew to admire through this session
As for our international guests, they also learned a lot as for all of them, it was their first time in North Africa.
“First Time Touching a camera? No Problem !”
The LCL leadership team had to prepare the directors for the session with our stars. So, our training days started off with The Tunisian Director Hisham Ben Ammar who shared his expertise in filmmaking and gave us tips and tricks on how to make a great movie with kids.
After that, a psychiatrist taught us how to communicate effectively with kids.
Noor Gheryani, who is a Tunisian Amazigh activist, taught us all about the Amazigh culture , history, language and people so that we could translate that information to the stars in the most fun and educational way possible. She answered all our questions and we were all more informed by the end of the training.
The last training session was with the owner of the production company “Blaze Prod” to give us a crash course in filmmaking.
“No hour of life is wasted that is spent with a Star”
After the training sessions, our interns were ready to meet the stars, and start working on their movies but first, we had to integrate the kids into the LCL mood. We started off with educational games surrounding the Amazigh culture. To accomplish this, we were divided into stations and each station had to focus on a subtheme (mythology, Food, Principles, Nature) so the stars can get an overview of what they’ll be covering more in depth in their films.
The stars loved the activities, we could see the happiness in their faces. We knew the first day was successful because of the strong relationship that was established between the kids and us interns. We were like a family and this is what created a dynamic work environment.
“Lights, Camera, Action !”
With the Cameras charged, the sound ready to roll and the scripts written, it was time for our directors to show off what they learned and practice the skills that they acquired during their training.
The stars were thrilled and well-prepared to act out their roles. In no time, it was official: Production day had started.
It was no easy job for all of us to film the whole movie in one day, but with our persistence and determination, we managed to finish filming by the deadline even though we faced a lot of challenges and obstacles. We proved nothing could stop us - and the footage was ready to be edited.
“Marsa to Medina”
By the end of the production day, our time was over in Marsa and we continued the post-production days in the old yet majestic Medina of Tunis .
Everything was going smoothly and according to our plan, the stars had expectations for their movies and we were determined to meet these expectations.
“Lights Off, Projector On”
We finished the movies on time, and after days of being on our computers adding visual effects, music, and color to our films, it was time to taste the fruit of our labor.
The Red Carpet Event was hosted at The S.O.S Village, homes of our stars. Our stars were grinning from ear to ear, and they were nervously excited to show their movies to their brothers and sisters.
The event started, and we all took seats to watch our movies. The lights went off, and the projector came on. Silence filled the room and all eyes were on the screen.
It was an unforgettable moment for me. I saw the pride, happiness, and passion in the eyes of the interns, the leadership, and the stars. All of the stress from the last week evaporated in that moment, it was just joy that was left in our hearts.
It was the end of the journey, a whole month that impacted our lives, and changed our views on things. We made new friends and we gained a new family. It was a life-changing experience for all of us, and we are forever grateful to the people that made it possible. We would like to thank the Amazigh Cultural Association in America (Tiddukla Tadelsant Tamaziɣt deg Marikan) for really believing in our session and sponsoring us to make it come to life.
“And in the end, The love you take Is equal to the love you make”
Written by Baha Alimi