When last did a film from Africa make you feel like you belong?
Authentic storytelling is a vital tool for restoring pride to African peoples' relationship with nature, and closer to home, the sense of identity and belonging held deeply within. Recognising this, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invited filmmakers to submit proposals for a short documentary film that speaks to people and their connection to the environment and wildlife.
eKhaya: We are HOME
Our mission has always been to create strong communities for storytellers, conservationists, and scientists to help each other grow and take up space. At NEWF, we have watched this community grow from one group of fellows pitching their films in 2017, to more than 200 fellows from more than 25 African countries. If only these walls could talk!
REMAIN TEACHABLE
A Marine Biologist by profession, an emerging documentary filmmaker, a foodie and a NEWF fellow - peeling back those layers, you realise that TJ is not just the sum of her achievements and the brief bios sprinkled across the internet - she is so much more and her vision runs deep. She defies the status quo by leaning into her power and ability while maintaining a humble soberness and practicality.
The World Underwater
Noel Kok, the visionary behind NEWF, is a man of many hats and a fearless leader who is constantly working towards changing the narrative of Africa. One way Noel seeks to do this is by providing access to the ocean through a series of programmes called NEWF Dive LABS. These programmes offer access to Africans who may have not had the ability nor the access to experience the ocean in a way that one can only dream of.
THROUGH MY EYES
For a person who had been longing to learn how to dive, the NEWF Dive and Story Lab could not have come at a better time. To begin with, diving is a necessary skill for anyone studying or working in the marine field - I have been part of a team of researchers, community members, and other stakeholders working to restore degraded coral reefs, amongst other things. To make it even better, storytelling and filmmaking were a part of this too!