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Here is the Korean language version of Amnesty International’s short film ‘False Promises – Exploitation and forced labour of Nepalese migrant workers.’
You can find out more on this issue by reading the report or a summary at the Amnesty International website.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Amensty International, Asia, deception, forced labour, Korean, labour, migrant worker, Nepal, South Asia, trafficking | Leave a Comment »
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This video accompanies new research published by Amnesty International this week on the trafficking of Nepalese migrant worker for labour exploitation. The piece was shot by two Nepalese film makers to a brief myself and the AI researcher developed with them. Dinesh and Ramyata (who previously worked on Julie Bridgham’s ‘Sari Soldiers‘) of Sutra Films did a fantastic job.
The 10 minute film was produced as a visual summary of the report findings, with the voice of returnee migrants a prominent part throughout. This is supported by the inclusion of local experts. It was first screened at a press conference to launch AI’s research findings in Kathmandu on 13 December. The film was distributed to the local and international media. A Korean version has been prepared for screening in Seoul due to the increasing number of Nepalese migrating there. We also hope it will gain viewers in Malaysia and other major destinations for Nepalese migrant workers.
Filed under: Video | Tagged: Asia, exploitation, forced labour, Gulf, kathmandu, migrant worker, Nepal, South Asia, trafficking | Leave a Comment »
You gotta love this, not least because its kinda clever. But also because, rather paradoxically, its such a simple idea.
What’s it got to do with social activism? Not much, but it just goes to prove that you can grab people’s attention without busting the bank on flashy hi-tech jazzy stuff (though I kinda like that too sometimes).
Filed under: Cartoons/Animation | Leave a Comment »
Amnesty International France have produced a great anime-style piece for AI’s Letter Writing Marathon taking place over the next week.
Does animation detract from the seriousness of the cases presented? I wonder. I suspect that the advantage of using this media will be audience reach, driving more to take action, which is no bad thing.
Filed under: Cartoons/Animation | Tagged: Amnesty International | Leave a Comment »
Rather bland but sober ‘lay of the land’ animation from the OECD on inequality. Seems like the Occupy movement have popularized a focus on earnings inequality. Others were there before them, like the Inequality Trust who have made their own videos, including this one on gated communities.
Even the Economist is at it.
Filed under: Cartoons/Animation | Tagged: inequality, OECD | Leave a Comment »
In the previous post we showed a publicity campaign which manipulates pictures. In this one, we show a video which reinterpret a classic film. Oxfam America, for its campaign on land grabs, decided to copy and at the same time, to modify a famous scene in “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992).
Glengarry Glen Ross, adapted from a play by David Mamet, tells two days in the lives of four salesmen and how they become desperate when the corporate office sends a representative, Blake, to “motivate” them. Blake, among a series of verbal abuse on the men, announces that only the top two sellers will stay in the company and the rest of them will be fired.
Here is the scene:
Here is Oxfam America’s interpretation:
I imagine that the intention of the video was not only to create surprise on the audience through the script but also to make a link with the original film. In such a way, the message will be made more powerful through its references.
Does it work in this sense? I have some doubts. It is well filmed and staged and obviously it refers to a film which had an excellent casting (Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris and Alec Balwing among others) and which received good reviews. But, do you know the film? I did not. Do the receptors of the campaing know the film? Probably not, it seems that in America it did not have commercial success.
So, was it worthy to recreate the whole scene – and obviously invest the money- to refer to a film that probably very few people have seen? And if they do not make the connection to the original film, will they able to stand the shouting to get the message and to make sense of it?
(Many thanks to Shani Orgad for letting me know about these two videos)
Filed under: Art, Film, Video | Tagged: development, East Africa, land grabs, poverty | Leave a Comment »
Some creativity going on here at the end but I can’t help but feel this is coming from ten years ago rather than now.
Filed under: Campaigning, Video | Tagged: Amnesty International | Leave a Comment »
Loving the Benetton ‘UNHATE’ poster campaign. Shame the Vatican got all hot and bothered by it as that was my favourite. Amazing how controversial a kiss can be…ask Bollywood directors!
I would love to see more social activism initiatives using techniques like this. The manipulation of images has great potential to create unseen or unlikely events, sparking debate (even if controversial). Unfortunately, many INGOs are still in the business of visual ‘authenticity’ and so don’t venture too far outside of the documentary photography safety net.
Filed under: Campaigning, Graphics, Photography | Tagged: advertisement, Benetton, Vatican | Leave a Comment »
Women chat in recovery ward following successful cataract surgery, AJEH, Bihar, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
I came across Sophie Gerrard’s work via a recent article on the BBC News website about an eye hospital in Bihar, India. I was impressed enough to have a dig around on her website and found another interesting project on maternal health. What struck me was the balance in her approach – not overly dramatic and with a positive thread running through it. At times it borders on the minimal, with artistic over-tomes, which will not be to everyone’s taste. However, I liked what I saw so got in touch and Sophie kindly agreed to answer some questions.
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REP – Hi Sophie, your work predominantly focuses on social and environmental issues. What is striking is that rather than emphasize the negative and over dramatize the issue, you take a positive approach. You seem solution orientated. Is this a conscious working method?
SG – For the most part yes, ‘Protectors of Sight‘ is certainly a positive story. The story being told here is of a remarkable rural eye hospital in remote Bihar, India where they are working against all the odds curing the sight of hundreds of people everyday for free. It’s a positive story and it’s one which deserves attention. The hospital there is doing such incredible work. People are generally interested in hearing about it. I think the positive solution part of the story is often what the audience engages with the most. I think to make work which lets an audience know about something new. So in this case, the story of blindness is not new, but the way this hospital is trying to eradicate the issue is very new to most of those who see the photographs. That’s what has got people I meet, talking about the project and the issue of cataract blindness in that part of India, and that’s the whole point.
I’m not a great fan of a photographic or documentary approach which presents an audience with nameless victims and their plight without specific details and specific voices. People are interested in people, facts figures and statistics mean very little until a human face or voice makes us empathise and start to see things from a difference perspective. I think photography and audio can do that. If we hear the voices and thoughts of those affected by the various social and environmental issues I photograph, then I hope that means their story is communicated that little bit more successfully.
Asha Subhash Gabhale, 20, with her two day old baby, Chaphachapada, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
AJEH Mastichak, Bihar, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
Acid pollution, Mandoli, Delhi, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
REP – Most of your stories are from India. Is this by chance or is there a deeper attraction? How do you find working some where so far from home and so different? How do people react to you?
SG – I’ve always been attracted to India, my parents lived and worked for an NGO working in India and in Pakistan in the 1970s and I’ve always been attracted by that part of the world. I’m perfectly happy working far from home, I enjoy travelling, discovering new places, meeting new people, which photographer wouldn’t. You wouldn’t choose to do this work otherwise. I’m used to being the visitor, the one who is asking questions. Even when I’m working in Scotland and nearer to home that is still the case. It’s up to me to make people feel relaxed around me, and to react well towards me. If I am photographing them over a period of time (which is how I prefer to work – spending time and making work slowly) then it’s in my interest to develop and establish a relationship relatively quickly and to try and gain trust. I am not out to trick anyone or to misrepresent anyone. I ask questions and I am curious, I then try to portray that information in my photographs, with varying degrees of success. I’ve been lucky, I’ve nearly always been welcomed and treated with great generosity and kindness by those who have let me photograph them.
Sindhu gathers her medical box before home visits, Gande, rural Maharashtra, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
Community worker during a house visit, Baigau, rural Maharashtra, India. Copyright Sophie Gerrard
Newborn, five days old, Baigau, rural Maharastra, India. Copyrights Sophie Gerrard
Filed under: Multi-media, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged: Asia, children, health, India, maternal mortality, South Asia | Leave a Comment »
Following on from Sophie Gerrard’s piece on cataract surgery in Bihar here is a piece by the BBC on a similar scheme in Nepal.
Filed under: Video | Tagged: Asia, health, Nepal, South Asia | Leave a Comment »
