|
| Features | | UNICEF promotes children’s rights through film | IMAN MANI
Daily News; Saturday,July 26, 2008 @20:04
| QUESTION: What does UNICEF expect to achieve from all this?
ANSWER: Our expectations are the same as the expectations of all children: to raise issues about child rights. The award is called ‘UNICEF Child Rights Award’ and it is to raise public awareness about issues that touch on children’s lives -- such as children who might have been orphans because of HIV/AIDS, or are HIV positive.
Also, children who may suffer from violence or those who are involved in child labour. We have been sponsoring this award since 2005. So far, two Tanzanian producers have won the award.
The film ‘Tumaini’ took this award in 2005 and ‘Elfu Huanza Moja’ in 2007. In 2006, the award went to a Zimbabwean entry, ‘Through my Eyes’.
UNICEF goals for sponsoring this award have always been to promote children’s rights through film.
Additionally, through this award we hope to motivate both local and international film producers to think of and remember children and the issues surrounding them when developing screenplays – as well as the challenges facing children in our society today, such as the impact of HIV/AIDS, child labour, lack of access to basic education and health, violence, exploitation etc.
Q: Is it a once and for all act, or is it to be continued every year at future Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) events?
A: Actually, this is not the first time but the fourth year. It began in 2005. It is our expectation that it continues as long as ZIFF continues.
UNICEF strives to realise the rights of every child and this is reflected in all the activities and projects it undertakes in its country programme.
Therefore, we will keep on sponsoring this award as long as it can continue contributing to building awareness and creating interest and dialogue in the public domain on children’s rights in Tanzania, as well as globally through film.
We do believe that this is an important forum for ZIFF, filmmakers and us to speak about issues that are important to children in Tanzania , Africa and around the world.
Q: How does the award help the plight of children in Tanzania?
A: It’s not about giving an award today … then tomorrow you see the impact … it’s a long-term partnership. Advocacy is a longterm effort.
Tanzanian films like ‘Tumaini’ and ‘Elfu Huanza Moja’ bring to the big screen some of the issues and problems facing children in society today in Tanzania. Sponsoring this award therefore helps to raise the profile of the situation of children in Tanzania – building awareness among the public.
The three films, which have so far won the award, have contributed to UNICEF’s work in trying to advocate for children’s rights and they have also increased the public’s understanding of the plight of the most vulnerable children in Tanzania.
Additionally, a forum such as the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), through the local and international media attention it attracts, helps mobilise society, policy makers as well as sensitise citizens on child rights issues in society. Through the winning film, UNICEF also hopes to make people aware of their social responsibility towards the most vulnerable children.
Q: What does the award itself actually consist of?
A: UNICEF gives the winner a certificate of recognition as well as a high-quality professional video camera, valued at 3500 US dollars, to allow them to continue producing more quality films that advocate for children’s rights.
Q: How was the film chosen, in the first place? What criteria was used?
A: The key criterion of UNICEF is that the winning film must be produced by an African and that it should focus on and strongly advocate for children and women’s rights. A panel of judges from the ZIFF makes the final decision based on this criterion and other technical aspects of the film.
Q: What do you expect from next year’s winner?
A: UNICEF hopes that they will continue to promote children’s rights through the production of quality films and in so doing create awareness and interests in children’s rights and help improve the lives of children in Tanzania and globally.
Q: Has UNICEF any other immediate plans of taking certain actions in their endeavour to improve the plight of locally-made films for children?
A: At this point UNICEF has no plans of getting involved in local film production.Our support in the film industry is limited to presenting an award at the ZIFF along with a video camera to the winning film best advocating for children rights. | | | | |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
