At a glance: United States of America

Documentary on Zambian women honoured at Jackson Hole Film Festival

© Camfed/2008

Many of the women who worked on the making of ‘Where the Water Meets the Sky’ are mothers of infants, so they arrived each day with their babies swaddled to their backs.

By Raquel Wilson

NEW YORK, USA, June 25, 2008 – ‘Where the Water Meets the Sky’, the first documentary film from the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), was honoured with the ‘Best Global Insight’ award last week at the Jackson Hole Film Festival in Wyoming.

Narrated by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, the documentary chronicles how learning to share their stories through film transformed the lives of 23 women from Samfya, a remote region of northern Zambia.

Filmmaking as tool for change
In their first real exposure to modern communications technology, the women were able to challenge misconceptions about poverty, AIDS and the capability of individuals who lack conventional literacy skills.

For example, the filmmakers recount the experiences of Penelop, 19, an orphan living with AIDS, who struggled to provide for herself in the wake of her parents' deaths.

© Camfed/2008

Frieda, 27, practices her new skills in sound recording using a boom microphone.

“By empowering them with skills and technology to share their stories and speak out about issues that affect their lives, the project has helped the women develop the confidence and strength to pursue their dreams,” said Camfed International Executive Director Ann Cotton, who is also Executive Producer of ‘Where the Water Mets the Sky’.

Key partners
The Jackson Hole Film Festival is a competitive event committed to creating a platform for global inspiration and change. In conjunction with the fifth annual festival, the Jackson Hole Film Institute this year presented the Global Insight Summit, an international gathering where arts and cultural leaders came together with UN officials to explore how film and television can be utilized to highlight critical global concerns.

Camfed, a key partner of the United Nations Girls' Education Initiative, is dedicated to fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS in rural Africa by educating girls and investing in their economic independence and leadership once they complete school.