Divya, a student of class 10, has made a film. It’s a heart warming story of a poor girl who wants to buy a bicycle and works her way towards it before finally giving up the money she earns to someone who requires it more. “It is a film that talks about the need to help other people,” she says.
A hushed note of excitement pervades the Chowdiah Memorial Hall as a series of such images flit across the screen, offering glimpses into the dreams and resolute hopes of young minds that sit there watching them unfurl in celluloid.
The seventh edition of Adobe Youth Voices 2013, the philanthropic program of the company’s foundation, was an attempt to create avenues for children of underserved communities to capture the world as they saw it from behind a camera’s lens. Nearly 120 short films were produced by colluding with 100 educators and 2,700 children across 90 sites. The films showcased several pertinent issues such as women’s empowerment, education, and environment protection, and drew parallels from their own lives, emphasising a deep-rooted desire for change.
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“We are a very poor rural school and our students have never seen a camera in their entire life,” says Nazma Banu, an educator from Koira, Rural Bangalore. “Today, they can do everything right from scripting to setting up equipment and shooting to editing. All their innate skills have come out due to this exercise.”
“Films gives shape to people’s ideas,” says Tridib Roy Chowdhury Senior Director-Products, Adobe, “The quality of film making and content creation has really improved over the years.” says Tridib. “Ideas have become more sophisticated and material has been treated in a fantastic way.”
“After all films are part of education, not just entertainment,” said Nanjunda Gowda, renowned film director, who was the chief guest on this occasion.
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One of the participants, Nagarathna, an eighth-standard student of Kadabagere government high school brought her film that talked about the migration of farmers from villages to cities due to their inability to sustain their lives through farming. “They sell their land and move because they do not get any help from the government,” she says.
Dreams of direction
“We are extremely happy with this programme,” says Nazma. “It has opened new avenues and now many of students are thinking about joining the film industry.” Divya admits to being one of them. “It was an awesome experience and I loved every minute of it,” she says. “I am going to become an editor or film director some day,” she adds a trifle shyly.