Media Cooperation with the Arab World and Iran
The IMS “Media and Dialogue” focus area aims to enhance freedom of expression and, through exchanges and collaboration between media professionals, generate more nuanced media coverage in Denmark as well as in the countries of cooperation. Activities include cooperation with media partners throughout the Arab world and Iran. What's it like for foreign media to work in the Arab world? IMS has interviewed some of the experts:Archive
- World Press Freedom Day: Watch out for "Big Brother"
- New international initiative in support of Iranian media
- Social media and democracy in closed societies
- Turkey's divisions: Not about religion, but about class and ideology
- Turkey a future central player in Middle East
- Iran – a twitter revolution?
- Turkey and the Middle East – Journalist Conference, Damascus
- Filming in the world’s happiest country
- Tunisia’s only independent radio station fights back
- One woman, one camera in the streets of Beirut
- Opening doors for media in the Arab world and Iran
- Lebanese, Jordanian and Syrian broadcasters find common ground
- Want to work with media in the Arab world?
- Iranian journalists forced into hiding
- Online reporting fills reporting gap in Iran
- Regional programme in Arab world approved for next two years
- Sharing a wealth of experiences
- Vacancy: Student Assistant
- One logo - two discourses
- Beirut Conference November 2007
- Media in the line of fire amid unrest in Beirut
- Fostering professional collaboration
- Elections Handbook, Arabic, 2005
- Conflict Sensitive Journalism, Arabic
- Tunisia's media landscape, June 2002
One woman, one camera in the streets of Beirut
 |
When 27-year old Sun Hee from the National Film School of Denmark flies off to Lebanon in September to film life in the streets of Beirut, she is intent on showing a different side of a country mostly known for conflict
Sun Hee Engelstoft is one of three student film directors from the National Film School of Denmark chosen to spend a month in Beirut producing a 20 minute personal documentary on a subject of their choice.
The trip is offered to selected third year students and is carried out in cooperation with International Media Support (IMS). As part of IMS’ Arab Programme which connects media workers in Denmark and the Arab world, three young Lebanese documentary directors will also visit Denmark with the same aim of producing a film. Both during and after the film productions, the students from both countries will meet and exchange ideas and methods.
A one woman, one camera operation
While Sun is usually accustomed to working as a multi-camera director in a team using several cameras for one production, she will be a one woman, one camera operation in Beirut. Each student film director will be responsible for researching, developing, filming, cutting and audio-processing their own film product.
- Part of the reason behind trips like this is to teach film students how to work on their own in foreign cultures and how to cope with challenges such as language barriers and loneliness. But I am up to the challenge, says Sun.
- My belief is that you can go far by meeting people with an open mind and sensing their own personal boundaries as to how close you can get to them.
To prepare herself for her month in Beirut, Sun has interviewed Danes with Lebanese backgrounds, studied Lebanon’s history, trawled through You-Tube for Lebanese-related film and music clips and is learning Arabic.
A film about friendship
Sun's plan is to make a documentary about young people and their friendships.
- Most people only know Lebanon for its history of conflict, she says.
- I want to make a film about friendship, about the every day lives of people and their relationships. I want to talk to teenage boys about their views on family, relationships with each other and with girls.
Sun’s film, along with those of her fellow Danish students and the young, Lebanese documentary directors, will be assembled on one DVD and shown in both Denmark and Lebanon.
Watch this space for a preview of Sun’s film in December.
Join IMS on facebook