Ex-cons keeping clean thanks to the power of music. Rural South Africans slating the traditional courts system that supposedly protects them. Women who show no fear about disclosing their positive HIV status to their communities.
Ex-cons keeping clean thanks to the power of music. Rural South Africans slating the traditional courts system that supposedly protects them. Women who show no fear about disclosing their positive HIV status to their communities. And a young designer in Cape Town who built a 'dog box' for an alcoholic homeless woman to sleep in.
Sound like the kinds of crazy things you expect to see on TV or read about in The Daily Sun?
Well, not exactly. They were created by the journalists and film crews of tomorrow, fourth-year Television students at the Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies.
These and other stories were shown in short films at the seventh RUTV Documentary Film Festival at the Rhodes University Theatre on Wednesday night. It is the only student film festival in South Africa, according to the journalism school's TV production manager Paddy Donnelly.
Of the five 24-minute films featured, one in particular stole the audience's favour. At the end of the screening audience members were asked to vote for the film they thought deserved the Audience Choice Award. Out of 155 voters, 'Two Stories' won hands-down with 92 votes.
'Two Stories' produced by students Martin Bleazard, Justin Archer and Rosanna Scott profiles the experiences of two people making brave and positive choices to uplift and empower the lives of people in their areas.
One is a corrective rape survivor living in Grahamstown East who encourages other lesbians to be honest about who they are in an environment where many people want to keep them quiet. The other is a rowing coach from Holland who has immersed himself in the Nelson Mandela Township in Port Alfred. He now lives there and has established an organisation to help get local children involved in sport and assist them with basic education.
To view the work of these talented young film-makers go to http://rutv4.ru.ac.za//.
