Author: representmedia

Documenting Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones

Posted on by representmedia
[CSRV guide]

 

A GUIDE TO ETHICAL REPORTING AND MEDIA

A team of journalists and filmmakers who regularly work on issues of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) wrote the guide “Reporting on Sexual Violence in Conflict” to prevent the kinds of issues found in the making of Sabaya.
This guide describes the following key principles in detail.

Ask 3 Foundational Questions:

1. Am I sufficiently prepared for this?
2. Should we be interviewing this person, in this time, and in this place?
3. Does my interviewee fully understand what they are signing up for?

Conduct 3 Essential Practices

1. Allow survivors to speak in their own way and in their own time.
2. Understand trauma’s continuing impact on memory and feelings of safety.
3. Understand how your own emotional wellbeing is part of this too.

Tell the Story Carefully

1. Remember: Sexual violence is never the only dimension to the story.
2. The images don’t fade: Be careful with visual choices.
 

Ethics and Consent in Documentary Filmmaking

Posted on by representmedia

 

“I told them I do not want to be filmed,” said one of the Yazidi women. “It’s not good for me. It’s dangerous.”

Their objections have raised issues about what constitutes informed consent by traumatized survivors and about the different standards applied to documentary subjects in Western countries.

– From the New York Times

Especially for abuse survivors, we believe the matter of consent is more … It involves a process of free, informed participation without the hindrance of fears of retribution … from those in positions of authority and power.

SABAYA CONTROVERSY

On September 26, 2021, the New York Times published an article, “Women Enslaved by ISIS Say They Did Not Consent to a Film About Them” by reporters Jane Arraf and Sangar Khaleel. They are referring to Sabaya, an award-winning film about Yazidi women and girls who escaped sexual slavery.

In this article, several Yazidi women spoke anonymously, for fear of repercussions, that they did not consent to being in the film. As survivors of sexual slavery, to have their images and stories used without consent is exploitative and retraumatizing. The article describes additional troubling issues, such as sending written consent forms to participants after the film had already screened, a woman being told the film was for personal uses, and other unethical practices.

We stand against the exploitation of sexually-abused women through these filmmaking practices. Especially for abuse survivors, we believe the matter of consent is more than obtaining written forms and verbal agreements. It involves a process of free, informed participation without the hindrance of fears of retribution, endangerment of basic survival needs, and other potential negative consequences from those in positions of authority and power.

Because abuse survivors have been conditioned to fear authority figures and accommodate others’ wishes, their degree of consent can be questionable when they are recovering from traumatic experiences. We call upon the documentary community to set a higher level of accountability when working on films involving sexual abuse and slavery.

 

 

Letter to Sundance Institute on Sabaya

Posted on by representmedia

CALL TO ACTION

The New York Times recently reported that Sabaya, a film about Yazidi sexual slavery survivors, included women who did not give consent to appear in the film.

Earlier this year, the Sundance Institute awarded the film its 2021 Directing Award in World Cinema Documentary. We believe this award is inappropriate for a director who failed to uphold the safety, well-being, and agency of all abuse survivors as his foremost concern.

On September 29, 2021, we submitted this letter to Sundance requesting to revoke this award, as well as making reparations.

We received the following response from Sundance on October 8, 2021.

Sundance response 10-8-2021

To which we responded with the following on October 12, 2021.

Response to Sundance 10-12-2021

We are also aware that the film is distributed by MTV Films.

If you would like to adapt the letter to send to their attention and action, please contact:

MTV Documentary Films
Sheila Nevins – President
@thesheilanevins (twitter.com)
+1 212 846 6000 phone
1515 Broadway Ave.
New York, NY 10036 USA

You can also contact the Swedish Film Institute, which provided significant funding for this film.

The film is currently in the nomination process with the European Academy Awards.  You can oppose this process by contacting:
Mike Downey (Chairman of EFA): [email protected]

JOIN OUR SABAYA CAMPAIGN LIST

  •  

Jay Gash selected for Surge Fellowship

Posted on by representmedia

Congratulations to Re-Take Oakland filmmaker, Jay Gash, for being selected for the 2022 Oakland Surge Fellowship! The Surge Fellowship supports emerging leaders of color in education and was created with the goal of expanding diversity in the education leadership pipeline. Jay is currently the Associate Director of Youth & Emerging Media Maker Programs & Creative Director of Youth Productions at Bay Area Video Coalition.

Oaktown Stories 2 with Re-Take Oakland Filmmakers

Posted on by representmedia
Oaktown Stories 2 banner
 

Re-Take Oakland filmmakers Jessica Jones, Jenn Lee Smith, and A.K. Sandhu presented three films. With their guest speakers and community partners, they held a community discussions relating to the contributions of black women to Oakland with our audience members.

  • Women Who Ride (Jessica Jones) shared an intimate portrait of D’Vious Wayz, Oakland’s first black women’s motorcycle club, as they come together to build a community around their passion for riding. This sneak peak introduced the themes and characters that will appear in a longer film slated to finish this fall. Guest speaker Frankie “Tish” Edwards spoke on black women creating a positive space for themselves.

  • Queen of the Court (Jenn Lee Smith) introduced Cheri King, a tennis tournament director and coach, as she teaches students the art of tennis and shares ways it may bridge socio-economic gaps. Guest speaker Cheri King spoke on how tennis can be empowering for black and brown youth.

  • For Love and Legacy (A.K. Sandhu) followed Dana King and Fredrika Newton as they create the first public art sculpture honoring Huey Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, and how they reconcile their mixed-race identity. Guest speakers Dana King and Fredrika Newton of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation spoke on the importance of women’s contributions to community building and social justice movements.

 

Oaktown Stories with Re-Take Oakland Filmmakers

Posted on by representmedia
Oaktown Stories June 5th 7-9p

 

Re-Take Oakland filmmakers Corinne Manabat Cueva, Jay Gash, Lucy Saephan, and teo octavia presented four films. With their guest speakers and community partners, they held deeply engaging discussions relating to the personal stories of Oaklanders with audience members.

 

  • Rooted in Resilience (teo octavia) focused on refugee and advocate Danny Thongsy as he fights against his deportation and for the rights of Southeast Asians. Guest speakers and community partners Lan Nguyen and Jun Hamamoto (Stand4Danny) centered the themes of grassroots activism and advocacy, Southeast Asian refugee and immigrant stories, displacement and deportation, and mobilization and movement building.

 

  • When the Garden Comes (Jay Gash) explored their family home and garden in North Oakland through three generations and how it can be a source of memories. Guest speakers and community partners Creasie Jordan and Keith Battle (BAVC) centered the themes of gardening and land for the black and brown community, defining legacy, and family histories and traditions.

 

  • Synchronized (Corinne Manabat Cueva) embraced 5 women of color as they collectively reflect about their experiences living and thriving in Oakland. Guest speakers and community partners Carmen Wong and Grace Patterson (BAVC/Reel Stories) centered the themes of expectations about Oakland; personal identity, place, and space; and the impacts of being creatives.

 

  • My Name is Lai (Lucy Saephan) drew a portrait of her Mien American grandmother as a cultural bearer carrying generational wisdom connecting her experiences in both Laos and Oakland. Guest speakers and community partners Lai and Muong Saephan (Lao Iu Mien Cultural Association) centered the themes of the Mien community in Oakland, intergenerational relationships and legacy, and the community’s future.

 

Interior Ecologies at the AAAS Conference

Posted on by representmedia

Re-Take Oakland filmmakers Corinne Manabat Cueva and Lucy Saephan discussed the relationship between culture, ecology, and personal storytelling at the 2021 AAAS conference. They screened their two new short films: My Name is Lai, featuring Lucy’s Mien grandmother talking about her experiences of life, and Synchronized featuring women of color discussing their relationship to living in Oakland.

Online Streaming Platforms for, by, and about Us

Posted on by representmedia
[Event poster]

We heard about two online subscription streaming platforms that feature intersectional content made by BIPOC filmmakers. Sisterhood Media TV streams short films by filmmakers telling their stories about queerness, accessibility, race, gender, culture, class, and more, while working towards a better future. Open Television focuses on artist development, community development, and research in developing their online series and films. Partners have included HBO, Tribeca Film Festival, and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.