Cameras Donated To Zambian National Arts Council
BY CYNDI GREENING, PHOENIX, USA – Great news today! The folks at Moving Visuals have located TWO CAMERAS that will be donated to the National Arts Council for use by Zambian filmmakers, artists and students. When the FilmZambia crew left, we donated a dolly, steadicam, light set, gel set and sandbags to the Council. With the addition of the cameras from Moving Visuals, we're hoping to encourage the growth of independent film in the country.
If you've been following this blog, you know it's been four weeks since we returned from our Zambian film shoot. Since then, we've been working on editing BOTH the documentary and the feature. We made our own little KRAALETTE (a smaller version of the Kwazulu Kraal in a hotel in Tempe ... we've rented adjoining suites so as many of us as possible can work as many hours as possible. I've started as early as 7am, people have stayed as late as 4am. A few of us sleep here to protect the equipment. Though it may seem congested, there's something familiar and comforting about continuing to work together.
For a while, there were challenges editing the feature. We were feeling frustrated because we'd worked so hard to get it done. It was nice to have the others there to kevetch with. Then, we started working on the documentary and we got very inspired again because we were reliving all we'd been through together. I now understand why people who work on film crews together get so close and keep working together over time. You really come to know who you can trust, who will watch your back and who will come through at the end of the day. I think with us being half way around the world, we became especially close because we knew we only had each other. I'd love to go back to Zambia and make another film. I think it would be so different this time because we are so different now. We'll have to see what the future will bring.