ENTREPRENUERSHIP CLASSES

I've never thought i'd be in class learning theory after my high school education level again. yes today i was in class, but this time it was a different subject, but related to what i'm doing-filmmaking.

This is my first day in this eight or so weeks (i'll confirm later) on this Creative entreprenuership course that is taking place at the British Council facilitated by Strathmore University. I hope to transform myself to a business person in filmmaking

BRIAN SEND-OFF

"Bye bye Brian, love go with thee..." that's the humm we sang to him as he cut the cake.

This was his last day, actually this was his last minutes he was having with us. Brian Ekdale from Wisconsin USA, was a volunteer with us at Hot Sun Foundation. He has been with us for the last seven months, and he has been of great help to us. Personally i've got his help technically while doing my projects and also i was able to use his equipment.

My first projects, i used his still camera for continuity. I also got his feedback while editing the projects.

My recent project, Voice From The Womb, he was part of my crew on set-he was the continuity person. He gave his video camera for the behind the scenes. I would not forget to mention that he was part of the team that gave me feedback while i was developing the script.

VOICE FROM THE WOMB

Kenyans are about to go into this process of voting once again. This time round it's not about electing new people to parliament but its about the law of the land, the constitution.

Now the politicians have not been left behind this process, they have divided themselves inti two camps, one supporting the raft constitution, the other opposing it. They've brought this division to the people, and now there are traversing the whole country, each campaigning for his side. In their campaigns each camp states "reasons" as to why they are defending their stand.

Now in the draft constitution, there have been a number of clauses that have brought controversy, and now the clergy have joined in rejecting the document. One of the thing they are not comfortable with is the clause on abortion-that it is allowable in case a doctor sites the life of the mother is in danger. The church says by allowing this clause into the constitution it will be like legalizing abortion, while the other side says that its better of to save the life of the mother than the unborn child.

Now having heard all this, i wondered which side was telling the truth and that it'd stand by it no matter what. I'm not sure if everybody that would remain on his stand.

As a filmmaker, i thought that this is an issue people need to really ponder and make that if the situation changed and became like their own, like it is them who are at this juncture...will they still remain in the same stand?

I came up with a short film on that-Voice From The Womb.

In the film, Dr Mark (the main character) is married to Alice. The setting of this film is during the era where abortion is legalised. Dr Mark being a registered Doctor, also performs the procedures. Alice has genetic fibrosis, this means that she can't have children, but somehow luckily she is three months pregnant with a son. The couple is happy.

Now this day when Dr Mark is called that his wife is admitted due to heart complications and the doctors at the hospital have to perform an operation to save her wife. Now there is a problem, for the abortion procedure, first they'll have to abort the baby. This is sad news to Dr Mark. He's told that if they try to save the baby, time wouldn't allow them to save the wife, so he has to chose between saving his wife or child. In the moment he calls his mother, the mother not knowing what to tell her some she narrates a story of a girl about to have an abortion but eventually changed hare min=d on that. Dr Mark comes to learn that the story is about his mother and him, he was the child about to be aborted but the mother decided to keep him.

What choices does Dr Mark have? That's the question the film ends leaving the audience to answer.

As the writer-director of the film, i did not want to force a choice to people, i left it open ended for people to pit themselves in that situation of Dr Mark and see, would they still remain in there current stand on abortion if faced with similar incident Dr Mark faced? Well, I'd love to hear the responses....

MEETING WITH VOICE OF KIBERA

Today i've just attended a workshop organized by Voice Of Kibera, a commuity news initiative that collects news about Kibera in form of short message service. Being part of the editorial board of the programme i had to help the participants in understanding the process which the news pieces take before being posted on the site.

A Big Day

Yes it has happened. I just shot (filmed) my first and greatest project since graduating. Since the conception of the script i have been planning for the shoot which happened today. Throughout the pre-production plan i have been getting support from my colleagues here at Hot Sun Foundation. The feedback i started getting for the script from draft one of the to draft five was reallly helpful that it build the whole story.

Thanks to the following: Mercy Murugi, Nathan Collette, Martha Kisaka, Victor Oluoch, Victor Otieno, Gabriella Operre, Anne Mwaniki, John Ngaruiya, Evans Kamau, Brian Ekdale and the Kibera Film School 2010 Trainees.

MEETING WITH CAST AND CREW OF VOICE FROM THE WOMB

Today we've just had our cast and crew meeting and it is a memorable moment in my life. If you do not by now what am talking about, yes am talking about my first biggest project, Voice From The Womb. I did write it and today we were meeting and rehearsing for the shoot that will take place tomorrow. Though am excited about it, i know that i'll meet challenges tomorrow, i believe i'll be ready to take them.

WHAT A BUSY WEEKEND!

This past weekend was not a resting time for me. I had to accompany the Kibera Film School trainees of 2010 in making of their first project. They had Sunday 4th as the deadline of shooting and with little experience they needed someone to assist in them. Though so tiring i had to play different roles in almost all the shoots they had, a director, camera person, principal character, supporting character and also i was there to give them motivation when things did not go as they had planned.

I just appreciate the trust they had in me in letting me take part in this first step/project they are doing as upcoming film makers.