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Projects Update
Our ongoing activities in Sierra Leone relate to the distribution of our feature film on safe motherhood, “Di Kombra Di Krai“, as well as our positive ongoing link with the Marc Bolan School of Music and Film (MBS). There have been very productive training programmes held, leading to a short documentary that has been central to the recent WASH campaign, aimed to increase the understanding of clean water and sanitisation issues in and around Makeni, Sierra Leone.
The campaign was planned and facilitated by Bashiru Koroma, a trainer at MBS who had previously worked closely with our Director of Training and Production, Rick Elgood, in facilitating our initial training programme and the production of the short WASH documentary.
The team recently visited the capital city of Freetown to share their message and had an interview with African Young Voices, a leading TV broadcaster dedicated to the promotion and development of youth activities in Sierra Leone. The team also held an hour-long radio discussion with Radio Democracy to help raise awareness of such an important topic.
In regards to Di Kombra Di Krai (Cry of a Mother), we have worked with EducAid, which has resulted in a pilot programme of school and community screenings being carried out in Port Loko where several participants were interviewed about what they learned from the film. These can be found on our social media channels.
We are proud and excited about our ongoing activities in Malawi. We have an enthusiastic and accomplished local training group in The Kasungu Film Collective (TKFC), with a capable facilitator in Patiel Mizeck and an experienced community distribution manager in Alfred Mtapaonga. We have also been very successful in engaging with TV and radio stations to distribute our productions and raise awareness of ongoing issues. We have established links with the country director of Standing Voice, the NGO that advocates for Albinism awareness. We hope to partner with them on the co-production of a feature-length drama next year.
A recent production, which we hope to share soon, is a feature film called “Beyond Sight” and aims to become a valuable resource to tackle the stigma of blindness through emphasising the ability, not the disability, of persons with sight impairment. Storyboarding, script writing, and production took place this summer, with editing work currently ongoing. We are working on a partnership with Yamba Malawi, a large charitable organisation that sponsors youth centres throughout Malawi, to screen the film in multiple locations, as well as on TV and radio.
We are increasingly optimistic about our ongoing activities in Kenya. As many of our supporters will know, PFP has a long history of collaborating with some wonderful people within the country, which has led to award-winning feature film productions such as Lisilojulikana, “The Unknown,” as well as a widespread programme of community distribution, spearheaded by Salome Jordano, who you can find out more about here.
Our current trainee programme, led by Peter Bwire, has resulted in the recruitment of new trainees, with the group now producing 2 minute clips using their smart phones on issues they feel are important within their community. These clips will be judged in order to assess the talent, current skill levels, and what further training may be required.
Once complete, the next stage of the Chrous Box training group’s training will be to produce a short documentary that evidences the impact that screenings of Lisilojulikana “The Unknown” have had at the Gran Amour Centre on persons with CP and their families in the wider community. It also provides a further opportunity to draw on the experiences of Salome Jordano, the director of the centre, who has been championing the community facilitation programme for several years.
Latest News
A Tribute to Colin Stevens – by Elspeth Waldie
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Colin Stevens who was fatally injured in a car accident in California, United States, at the end of January. For ten years (2009 – 2019) Colin served PFP in a number of capacities – as an Overseas Volunteer, an Associate Producer and a Trustee and, for many who had the good fortune to know him well, he was also a wonderful friend.
In writing or speaking about Colin now, countless colleagues have said the same thing – “He was a special person.”
It was a combination of skill, enthusiasm, commitment, and generosity of heart that earned Colin this accolade. PFP was undoubtedly lucky to have found him, and to have done so in our formative years when the Charity most needed the informed and enthusiastic input he offered. He understood and cared deeply about what we were doing, and threw himself into everything a hundred and one per cent. His contribution was immense.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Colin Stevens who was fatally injured in a car accident in California, United States, at the end of January. For ten years (2009 – 2019) Colin served PFP in a number of capacities – as an Overseas Volunteer, an Associate Producer and a Trustee and, for many who had the good fortune to know him well, he was also a wonderful friend.
In writing or speaking about Colin now, countless colleagues have said the same thing – “He was a special person.”
It was a combination of skill, enthusiasm, commitment, and generosity of heart that earned Colin this accolade. PFP was undoubtedly lucky to have found him, and to have done so in our formative years when the Charity most needed the informed and enthusiastic input he offered. He understood and cared deeply about what we were doing, and threw himself into everything a hundred and one per cent. His contribution was immense.
Colin directed four films in Malawi. They are all beautifully made and were amongst the very first in the country to be delivering life-saving messages through the medium of film.
His first was Mawa Langa – a drama for schoolchildren to help them to learn how to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS. Of this, a colleague wrote recently, “I remember the first time I saw Mawa Langa in your front room. What a talented director to be able to bring out so much from such an inexperienced team.”
This was perhaps Colin’s most amazing talent – his ability to perceive and develop acting skills in others, in this case, local people, who had never acted before – never perhaps even thought of acting. One of the most striking examples of this is the old chief, who stands out as a truly memorable character in Colin’s agricultural drama – Mbeu Yosintha. Colin had spotted an unsuspecting employee on duty by the gate of our partner organisation – and consequently, an elderly security guard was turned into a film star.
In his other two Malawi films, Colin faced different challenges. Ulmi Mchumi Chathu consists of three short documentaries delivering agricultural information to help farmers cope with climate change. Through his skillful directing, Colin avoided the obvious danger that a film on agricultural practices could end up being rather dull, and his inclusion of a little drama on fuel-efficient stoves makes it quite a hit.
The final film, Chosadziwika, must have been challenging. It involved taking PFP’s Kenyan drama about cerebral palsy, which was made in Swahili, and dubbing it in Chichewa – a truly difficult job that Colin delivered brilliantly.
Colin was an all-round filmmaker, and his many abilities meant that he was able to assist PFP in nearly all the countries in which we then worked. He did a great deal of post-production work, particularly on the Kenyan film Lisilojulikana. He was meticulous and a perfectionist. My only worry was that he might never get to a point at which he would enable me to sign the film off!
He also ran training courses: online for Sierra Leone, and in person in Senegal from whence they write, “When I read this news, memories of Colin’s huge kindness, talent, and drive to make a positive difference flooded my mind – He was a force to be reckoned with….clearly an expert in the making of films but also in teaching others these skills – and he inspired each member of the group with the belief that they too could use film to make a difference in their communities. In the three short weeks that Colin was with us, he became a trusted teacher, a friend, and a member of the community. The film we created with Colin was about the issue of birth registration, this film is about to be screened across 20 villages with further plans to ensure that everyone in the district has their birth certificate in the next three years- Colin’s positivity and vision was the push that started this all off.”
Much less well known than his film work is the enormous and very valuable volume of work that Colin did for PFP behind the scenes in the area of communications – particularly in terms of revamping and developing our image. He updated the logo, provided a new slogan, and ensured that these, together with a carefully selected shade of purple, appeared uniformly across all our materials. Then, over several years, he provided a wealth of promotional and other materials – all our DVD covers and accompanying leaflets, a new website which he also maintained, promotional DVDs, the digital magazine Kugawana, banners to head Facebook and the newsletter, a nameplate for Ilminster office, posters, a wide variety of fundraising materials and much else besides.
Colin was a Trustee of PFP from 2012-2015 bringing to our Board, not only all his knowledge as a filmmaker, but also his experience of working abroad and being a member of our volunteer crew. It is in this last capacity, as a volunteer crew member, working hard and with enormous dedication and enthusiasm, that we may best remember him, and to a fellow crew member that we should perhaps give the last word – “Colin”, he wrote simply, “was such a great, great guy”.
E.W.
Annual Report
We are very excited to share our brand new Annual Report for 2023. The report is jam-packed with details on our operations in 2023, what we delivered, and what we have to look forward to for the rest of the year.
PFP Annual Report 2023
Purple Field Productions' continued response to COVID-19
As the latest advice and news regarding COVID-19 continues to evolve quickly, PFP continues to closely monitor and respond to the situation and the impact on the people and communities we work alongside.
PFP clearly has an important role to play, and our recent experiences in co-producing COVID-19 awareness music videos, have demonstrated that we have the capability of operating even in the most trying of circumstances.
As an organisation we have supported our partners Future View Media Centre (FVMC) in Sierra Leone and the Kasungu Film Collective (TKFC) in Malawi to produce heath awareness music videos in their local languages.
Additionally, members of TKFC have been undergoing PFP supported training, covering film scripting, production, sound recording, and editing, which has led to the production of a short documentary on the effect of COVID-19 on schoolgirls in Malawi. (December 2021)
Stay up-to-date with advice from the World Health Organization (WHO):
Archive
Sierra Leone
We are pleased to share that The Marc Bolan School of Music has recently completed a documentary film on water and sanitation, which will be available for viewing soon. There are currently ongoing discussions regarding its distribution, with plans for an awareness campaign focusing on film screenings, poster production, and TV and radio broadcasts. (May 2022)
We have identified several film festivals through which we hope to distribute Di Kombra Di Krai (Cry of a Mother) to wider audiences, one of which is the Sierra Leone International Film Festival. Future View Media Centre has also agreed a deal with AYV to broadcast the film on DSTV, a digital subscription channel that covers many parts of Africa and is available worldwide online. The film has also been shown as part of a screening to students in Port Loko, with another few screenings scheduled to follow soon. (May 2022)
Training
We are pleased to report that the Marc Bolan School of Music (MBSM) have progressed from their 3-minute competition and are now working on a new 20-minute documentary. The current proposal is to produce a film on rural health and sanitation. This is a topical issue that has become of heightened importance during the current pandemic. MBSM will focus their efforts on local community distribution, and PFP will take responsibility for broader distribution through broadcast media and organisations. (October 2021)
Di Kombra Di Krai (Cry of a Mother)
Sierra Leone has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world, with 1,360 mothers dying per 100,000 live births (by comparison, the UK figure is 3.25 per 100,000). This shocking number of deaths is due in part to a shortage of hospitals, trained staff and ambulances. But lack of education also plays a part: and that’s where film can help. PFP & Future View Media Centre (FVMC) in Sierra Leone have now finished filming Di Kombra Di Krai (Cry of a Mother). You can view the film here. (October 2021)
Malawi
The pilot school screening programme in Kasungu has been successfully completed for The Kasungu Film Collective’s Covid-19 schoolgirls documentary. Alfred Mtapaonga, our local distribution manager, submitted a detailed plan and budget to extend the school screenings further, including in the programme for our short film on Albinism, which is now underway. As part of this programme, Alfred will be encouraging the schools to identify actions they might take in response to issues raised in the films. Actions proposed will be assessed through subsequent visits to selected schools. This is a small step, but one we hope to build upon in the future. Even just one instance of a school taking action in response to the film could prove massively helpful to the community. (May 2022)
Progress continues with regards to the feature film on Albinism, with training in planning and script writing ongoing with demonstrations provided by our Director of Film Training and Production, Rick Elgood. Rick is also visiting Kasungu, Malawi this month to meet the team in person for the first time and support the team in the planning and production of the short film ‘Beyond Sight’, which highlights the struggles of the visually impaired in Malawi. Whilst there, Rick will be providing hands-on tuition in the whole production and postproduction process, which will include training in sound production and mixing. We are excited to share Rick’s updates with you here and across our social channels. (May 2022)
We have recently delivered a pilot community-based screening programme in and around Kasungu through Uhuru Child Care, a local NGO focused on meeting the needs of children with cerebral palsy and supporting their families. Following training in its use, a mobile screening kit was loaned to Uhuru Child Care to continue the screening programme under their own steam. They have since completed a further two screenings and continue to make use of the film in their outreach activities. You can view Chosadziwika here. (May 2022)
We are currently making good progress with the distribution of our COVID-19 schoolgirls documentary, produced in partnership with The Kasungu Film Collective (TKFC). The initial focus has been on TV broadcasts, a pilot screening programme in local schools, and distributing DVDs/memory sticks to the government and NGO stakeholders.
Screenings have taken place in 5 secondary schools included in the pilot. At Chilanga, Kasungu C.C.A.P secondary school and Mphombwa, the film was shown in a classroom setting and in the school hall at Chankhanga. The process has reached an estimated 700 children.
Feedback from the team indicates that the screening process has gone very well, with positive responses from pupils and teachers. You can view this documentary here.
We shall soon be embarking on training in screenwriting in preparation for our anticipated upcoming feature film on Albinism. We are currently in the process of assembling team of local screenwriters, which will include Jonathan Mbuna and Aaron Mhone, who PFP have enjoyed working closely with before on other projects in Malawi. (September 2021)
Kenya
Our training group at Chorus Box in Kenya has completed their first module, which delivers a training programme to a group of youths and provides a creative space for young people.
The group has been established by Peter Bwire, a young Kenyan filmmaker who is currently using his skills to support youth engagement in community development activities in and around Kitale, Kenya.
The next step for Peter and the group is to start outlining possible options for a short dramatic film that focuses on key issues in the local community. Watch this space! (May 2022)
We have exciting news from Kenya where we will be delivering our unique training programme to a group of school-leavers/out of school youth through “Chorus Box”, a creative space for young people established by Peter Bwire, a young Kenyan filmmaker. Peter is highly committed to using his skills to support youth engagement in community development activities in and around Kitale.
We are hopeful this could lead to further opportunities for the PFP training model to be rolled out to other counties in Kenya. (September 2021)
The programme consists of the following modules:
1-minute documentaries
Training in interview techniques
Editing exercise
3-minute documentaries
20-minute documentary and Distribution
Tanzania
Over the past month, we have resumed more regular contact with our friends at ADD International who have indicated they are keen to organise a further screening tour of Lisilojulikana in Pwani District.
In the hope that we may work more closely together, we have taken the opportunity to ask ADD to reflect on how film/media has impacted their work so far, and how we can use film to support their future programmes. (October 2021)
Latest news
DI KOMBRA DI KRAI (CRY OF A MOTHER) RELEASE
Our latest project updates and news including:
- Our Safe Motherhood film ‘Di Kombra Di Krai’ has been released!
- Producing face masks for the community
- How Lisilojulikana continues to change the lives of Kenyan families
- Online shopping through Give as You Live