Development Cooperation Handbook/The video resources linked to this handbook/The Documentary Story/Recording development stories in Sierra Leone

Recording development stories in Sierra Leone

The first shooting day was for Suzan Bay. I did not go there as I was organizing the schedule for the following days. For Francesco and Franco was a shocking experience. They were overwhelmed from what they were seeing. So much that they lost their “professionalism” and in spite of availing of all those powerful scenes for our business, they were protecting themselves from the invasion in them of those images. At a certain point Franco even said “too much” and run away from the place. Luckily there was Gauri there who continued to work with the more resisting Francesco, whose curiosity remained vaster then his disorientation.



The following day was supposed to be for the Emergency hospital. But our RAI colleagues were still too schooled. They went in search of more idyllic tropical images and believed to local boatmen who took them where supposedly they would have seen the crocodiles. Which however decided not to participate to the show? Wilma was very good in taking up my advice and interviewing them on the boat about the differences of their professional approach and the one of the rest of the team.

Going to Kono was tiring. But the story there was powerful. I got also the opportunity to interview some local journalists and we also filmed them interviewing us.

Francesco was very keen in getting images of former child soldiers and of some of their mutilated victims. I was not much interested in that and I asked Wilma to accompany them.

In spite of my explaining the importance of the story of number 2 river I could not win over Francesco to it. It was mainly Gauri who recorded the images. Franco wept away with his used sulked expression.

We took the Emergency story after the RAI "professionals" had left. We were lucky because that allowed us to cover it well.

Wilma decided to stay on in Sierra Leone and give more time to the story of father Berton.

I directed Osman and Eugenio to go to Liberia and Guinea to film their efforts to prepare a project proposal. I wanted to make the history of preparation of a project in Syria. But Francesco had not been cooperative enough. So now I asked my team to do it. Since both Osman and Eugenio wanted o prepare a proposal for submission to the EU, I asked them to film their effort. They spent the money … but the result was poor. Later on, on my second visit in Syria, I tried again with Vrinda to prepare a story on how to prepare a programme. But Vrinda had no time, and no mind, to do it. I hope that at the KFI in Varanasi we will have the opportunity to do it.

Next ⇒ Leaving the RAI team alone to plan according to their objectives

Stories
⇒  Community Tourism

⇒ The Pentecostal Church

⇒ Emergency Surgical Hospital

⇒ Mothers Preparing Mothers

⇒ Unsustainable Growth

⇒ Women as Entrepreneurs - Petifu Chain

Video Clips
On YouTube ⇒  Emergency Hospital -  playlist

On YouTube ⇒  Community Tourism - Number2 River - playlist

On YouTube ⇒   Mothers preparing mothers - playlist

On YouTube ⇒   Unsustainable Growth- playlist

Interviews
Manoj Kumar

Debate among Sierra Leonian & Italian journalists

Backstage
Backstage  ⇒  Africa 3 - Team work difficulties



/Documentary Story