Beyond Green Film Project $10,000 Production Award
by George Spyros, New York City, USA on 06.27.07
Listen Up! and Adobe Youth Voices is launching Beyond Green, an international film project that will ask youth filmmakers worldwide, ages 13-19, to produce short personal stories on their physical, cultural and social environments. The filmmakers will answer two important questions: How do you and people in your community interact with the environment? Is there a better way? They will provide a $10,000 production award to selected organizations. The deadline is being extended until July 13th. To enter, go here. The organization's last project Beyond Borders: Personal Stories From a Small Planet nine short works by young people from around the world, won television's top honor, a George Foster Peabody Award. Get inspired by the story of a young Afghani woman, Sahar pictured above left (photo by Jack Looney), and watch the Peabody Award-winning short documentary Sahar: Before the Sun after the jump. It really is a well-done little film.
The short film Sahar: Before the Sun (Sahar means “dawn”) opens with a sequence of family photos from the days when the young girl Sahar Adish lived with her family in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, before the Taliban came to power. Sahar’s mother was a teacher trained in chemistry and biology, and her father was a geologist; they repeatedly stressed to their children the importance of education. In 1996, everything changed when religious fundamentalists took control of Afghanistan. Women were not allowed to hold jobs and girls were forbidden to go to school. Sahar’s mother began secretly teaching her daughter, then 9, at home, and soon other girls were joining them for lessons.
In 1998, the authorities learned about the classes, and Sahar’s father was seized and beaten. Released several days later, he was warned that he and his wife would be executed if the lessons continued. That night, the family fled to neighboring Pakistan. After applying to come to the United States as refugees, the International Rescue Committee relocated the family to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2002. Sahar is now a senior at the University of Virginia. Via ::UVA Today, USINFO, and WaPo.
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Galapagos and US Teachers Present New Environmental Education Plans
- Focus Earth: November 29, 2008: Growing Up With Global Warming
- Universities Taking the Initiative to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
- Five Dire Green Myths Causing the Greatest Global Harm
