28 August 2009
Democracy Video Challenge Finalist Rodin Hamidi Takes Questions
CO.NX webchat transcript, August 28
Rodin Hamidi, an Iranian living in the United Arab Emirates, and a filmmaker and finalist in America.gov’s Democracy Video Challenge, answered questions in an August 28 CO.NX webchat.
Following is the transcript:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Webchat Transcript
CO.NX Chat: Democracy Video Challenge Finalists: Rodin Hamidi of United Arab Emirates
Guest: Rodin Hamidi
Date: August 28, 2009
Time: 8 a.m. EDT (12:00 GMT)
CONX moderator Michelle: (8/27/2009 08:44) Our next webchat begins August 28 at 8:00 am EDT (1200 GMT) Rodin Hamidi of the United Arab Emirates will answer your questions about film and democracy.
CONX moderator Michelle: (08:44) You can send in questions at anytime.
Michelle Austein Brooks: (8/28/2009 07:51) Hi every one! Thanks for joining us today, we'll get started with Rodin in a few minutes!
RODIN HAMIDI: (07:59) hello everyone thank you for joining us
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:01) I'm Iranian living in Dubai for three years now, studied photography and film, and I love my job :)
IRC Addis Ababa: (08:04) Q.11) Should cinema subject to censorship with respect to its content? Your opinion please? (Nigussu Getachew, IRC Addis Ababa)
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:04) I’m totally against censorship and do think that art in general is a tool to express true feelings.
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:10) Thanks everyone for joining us today! Rodin is now answering your questions. In a few minutes we'll also play his winning film.
IRC Addis Ababa: (08:10) Q.8) How can we fight anti-democratic governments with the help of cinema? Do you recommend allegorical approach? (Nigussu Getachew, IRC Addis Ababa)
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:10) In Iran for example, cinema painting photography, all of this medium of art are really helpful to get around government censorship and show what is really happening with in the society , of course cinema is a very power full type of art in order to fight back with the anti democratic governments
Cafer Tanriverdi: (08:15) Michelle, My is to Rodin Hamidi “When and how you get this idea? and your first beginning story.”
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:15) The idea of my film is took me a lot of time just thinking what is democracy really is? And more importantly how you can visualize the meaning of it but I came up with Idea that democracy is the process and I tried to use symbols in order to convey my message
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:16) We're going to play Rodin's winning democracy video challenge film now.
Ansoumane CISSE dit Karamoko: (08:21) hello I'm Ansoumane CISSE living in Mali
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:21) I Ansoumane! Thanks for joining us in Mali.
Nihata: (08:22) When did you make your movie?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:22) I made this film in Dubai a week after I heard about the video challenge in VOA channel
smbale: (08:23) are you actively involved in politics
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:23) NOT AT ALL
smbale: (08:24) how long long did it take to complete the whole project?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:24) One week of pre production and one week of filming and editing, plus I composed the music myself
EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (08:25) What is your advice to the young generation on film making and politics?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:25) Cinema is all about passion
EDWIN ZULU ZAMBIA: (08:28) Did you ever think you would eventually get the grand prize?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:28) well I was happy with I what my movie looked like finally but I was also aware of the fact that there were thousands of applicants for this competition. But somewhere deep down I knew I had a chance to win because I truly believed in what I made
IRC Addis Ababa: (08:29) Q.5) Can we consider cinema as an instrument for political propaganda? Please discuss the current application. (Nigussu Getachew, IRC Addis Ababa)
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:29) in my opinion it is not cinema that is used as an instrument for political propaganda,i feel its the news and media are
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:30) Rodin has gotten a lot of questions from people at IRC Addis Ababa! Glad you could join us today!
hitman: (08:33) what is democracy ?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:33) democracy is the path, in a another word is a process that enables us to have human rights
Nicky: (08:35) Mr Tembo, what would you like to do next with film?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:35) I am planning on studying for my masters in film direction, so that I have a better outlook towards the film industry and eventually use cinema as a tool to express my vision.
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:38) Rodin is one of six Democracy Video Challenge winners. More information about them is online: http://www.videochallenge.america.gov/winners.html
IRC Addis Ababa: (08:41) Q.18) what is the key roll of film to give awareness on democracy where films considered as only for entertainment. here in Ethiopia the most spectators wants film as an opportunity to escape from their life. (Yared Shumete, IRC Addis Ababa)
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:41) in most cases film is considered as a form of enteratinment rather than having messages to help change the world or living conditions of people. Once film is taken more seriously I feel that cinema can be used to display certain senstive issues. Commerical movies are shown more openly than artistic movies
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:43) hi all,this is my website www.rodinart.net please have a look when convinient.
Cafer Tanriverdi: (08:48) Ankara- Rodin, in your film someone planting a tree and after two boy coming there playing with tree, are they pulling out? Would you like tell us very shortly, your scenario?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:48) The man planting the tree is representing the intellectuals, or the open minded people. the kids are the symbol of the childish political game players who uproot all good things planted by such intellectuals, or those people who care about democracy and freedom
CONX Moderator Michelle: (08:49) Rodin has a lot of questions today and won't be able to answer them all. He'll take a few more over the next few minutes. After the chat you can learn more about Democracy Video Challenge on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge
Diane: (08:50) Have you done any other film projects? Or do you have any other film projects that you are working on?
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:50) Yes I have done several short movies plus made some documentaries as well. Currently I am working on a movie about the political situation in iran, its about the girl who got shot while the protests after the presidential elections
IRC Addis Ababa: (08:59) what must be the roll of a filmmakers association in the society’s issue, as an association how can we encourage filmmakers to make movies on democratic issues? (Yared Shumete, IRC Addis Ababa)
RODIN HAMIDI: (08:59) one can not be forced on making movies on topics they are not confortable or familiar to democratic issues are senstive and hence one has to be very passionate and gutsy to want to cover them.
RODIN HAMIDI: (09:01) Thank you everyone for your time and interest in my movie and the democracy video challenge. It has been great tallking to you all and expressing my views on your questions. Hope we can all change the political system some day, and democracy becomes our path
CONX Moderator Michelle: (09:01) Thank you to Rodin for answering our questions!
CONX Moderator Michelle: (09:02) And thank you to everyone for joining us for these chats. Sorry if Rodin did not have time today to answer yours. Hope you'll follow Rodin and others' work at the Democracy Video Challenge Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/democracychallenge
CONX Moderator Michelle: (09:05) Thanks for joining us today. If you want to join us for future webchats, follow CONX on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CoNx-See-the-World/26365096875?sid=59c51dc9661c96006504d8e77b0984c8&ref=s
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