Masupatsela

SNAPSHOT MEDIA
DIRECTED and EDITED byJEMIMA SPRING
TX 27 July 2009

In this episode we learn from Bulelani Mvotho and Sam Faleni what challenges they faced as they worked through the steps of  setting up Snapshot Media, then making a documentary about young people in Khayelitsha, towards their goal of screening the film locally and starting a local cinema.

Bulelani Mvotho and Sam Faleni  represent the blueprint for trailblazers. They identified the problem in their community as being alcoholism and aimlessness amongst young people and a lack of entertainment for young people as the cause of this problem. Instead of sitting around waiting for someone to address the problem, they are tackling the problem themselves. They are being the change.

Snapshot Media is using creativity to make a difference. They are telling hard hitting stories of local and familiar people. The first film they made was about teenage pregnancy where they live. They interviewed a number of young women who had children while still at school to show how life has changed for these women. As a result of this film, Snapshot Media realised that the young men were somehow absent and now they are directing their attention towards a follow-up film about the men who impregnante these young women. These films are screened locally, which allows people to see themselves on the big screen and also drives home the urgency of the situation through the stories of local people.

Snapshot Media’s resources are limited, but they persist and often triumph over the various challenges. There are times when they are not sure that it is worth the effort, but there is always someone in the team who encourages them to soldier on. The team is made up of people with different skills – so although no-one knows everything, they are always sharing knowledge and learning from each other.

Their commitment to change is not confined to the community work that they do: Bulelani has also whipped himself into shape and realized that in order to make the change, he needs to be the change. In his personal life, he has consciously decided to face up to the challenges of being a single father to two children.

TO CONTACT OR CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROJECT:
please contact Bulelani Mvotho on +27 73 714 4328.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THESE MASUPATSELA, HERE’S HOW YOU GO ABOUT IT:
- identify the needs of your community and look for a way to meet those needs.
-  bring people with different skills on board your project
- register yourselves as a non- profit organisation
-  write proposals for your project  and approach funders
-  use your funds to buy the resources you need, e.g. a video camera for your first documentary film
- screen the movie at your local community hall for people to see their own stories on the big screen

SCREEN GRABS FROM THE SNAPSHOT MEDIA STORY: