The Media Alliance is working on behalf of Plan International, sponsor of the production of the “Mountain Voices” documentary series, to identify partners for broadcast, co-production and distribution for the various elements of this unique project. Expressions of interest are invited from international broadcasters, and Internet, social media and IPTV companies.
Production Overview Title: “Mountain Voices” – portraits of ethnic minority children Location: Ha Giang, Quang Tri and Kon Tum, Vietnam Duration: 3 years Project SummaryMountain Voices, a new film and media documentary series, is as much as a social observation experiment as it a documentary production. It is a living case study that tracks the lives of four ethnic minority children and a young mother living in Ha Giang, Quang Tri and Kon Tum provinces of Vietnam, 3 remote mountainous areas in north and central Vietnam, over three years of their lives.
The media content, including film, photos, spoken and written word, will document their lives and highlight the challenges and opportunities that ethnic minority children face. It will also track interventions from social mechanisms, government services and non-governmental assistance that impact the communities where they live.
The project will create broadcast quality footage that is suitable for national television and radio that will enable a broader range of utilisation. In addition to broadcast usage, the content will be posted to an innovative and interactive media platform using free available websites such as Vimeo and Tumblr and a bespoke platform that can be used by sponsors, donors and as part of development education programs to build greater understanding and interest in the ethnic minority communities that Plan works with.
Production rationale
Ethnic minorities in Vietnam have significantly higher rates of poverty, and lower levels of human development than the ethnic Kinh majority.[1] In particular, ethnic minorities tend to suffer from: lower incomes, lower levels of education and health status; inadequate access to infrastructure and basic social services; and, more limited opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. Simply put, most ethnic minority communities are not benefitting from Vietnam’s development to the same extent as other groups.
Many communities in these mountainous provinces share the same characteristics of rugged terrain, limited infrastructure, high levels of (child) poverty [2] and isolation with limited institutional and human resource capacity. They also tend to be sparsely populated. All these factors perpetuate a cycle of poverty that makes it difficult for poor children and their families to overcome.
Existing narratives and photos do not adequately portray the extent of the difficulties facing poor ethnic minority children in these remote locations. We have seen small “snapshots”, but have been unable to convey the daily struggle for survival and development that ethnic minority children face every day. Thus, Plan Vietnam has engaged a trusted award winning professional videographer Paul Zetter, www.ensemblefilms.com vimeo.com/ensemblefilms who has provided Plan Vietnam with various media content since 2005, to help tell the stories and struggles of children living in remote areas of the country to better inform media audiences. The Mountain Voices title reflects the strength of the vocal culture and the omnipotence of song as a backdrop to the lives of these hill tribes.
Introductory filmsIn late 2010 and early 2011 Ensemble Films completed four subject introduction films, covering four children and a young mother from different ethnic minority groups.
The story of A Nang a 7 year-old Mo Nam boy in Kon Plong, Kon Tum and his sister Y Do illustrates the difference between boys and girls in a changing world and difference perspectives of gender behavior norms.
Hap, an 11 year-old Dao girl living in Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang illustrates ethnic minority culture what it means to ethnic Vietnamese, how it is changing, and how it affects Hap as she is growing up
Fifteen-year-old Hue, a Van Kieu girl in Dak Rong, Quang Tri is experiencing rapid economic development as a bridge is being built which renders her family’s ferry service as obsolete. How infrastructural development change her world? How will she get a job as a girl becoming a woman in a fast changing world?
And what are the social values and expectations of Lia a H’Mong late teen mother whose husband died tragically and her four month baby son, Mua, in Meo Vac, Ha Giang.
Film ApproachOver three years the project will make a compelling collection of digital documentary media including films, interviews, photos and writing portraying the lives of four children and a young mother. The variety of digital media, predominantly film, will capture the changes over time and through different seasons in the lives of the subjects. The films will be supported by interview extracts from the subjects that shine a light on their lives and give a richer insight into their struggles, aspirations and culture, and how these elements affect their lives.
Two film updates will be made for each subject each year. This will total eight update films per year and 24 over three years[3]. In addition to this, the project will produce three annual highlight films and one main feature documentary film that will take an overview of the whole project over the three year timeframe. We expect this flagship documentary to be entered into film festivals and used widely in to promote the work of the development community to sponsors and donors.
Mountain Voices presence
The 24 film updates will produce a significant amount of media content that portrays the lives of these four children and young mother. It is anticipated that this content along with participatory film made by the subjects, short stories and local music will be used to create an attractive, innovative and dedicated interactive Mountain Voices web presence that allows the user to track the individuals over time or to look at specific issues or themes affecting them.
New content will be added on a regular basis so that the web presence builds interest and allows donors, sponsors and children working with Plan to follow the lives of the subjects and learn more about their lives.
Film ProductionAll filming and production will be done in Vietnam. The films will be delivered on DVD and in quicktime file format at various resolutions to suit distribution needs. The film will be subtitled in English, with the possibility of translation into other languages.
Sample Viewing Material The trailer and pilot material can be viewed at: http://vimeo.com/album/1529126 -- password: mountainv or at http://mountainvoices.tumblr.com/about -- password: mountainv To download the information contained on this webpage in pdf format, please click here About Plan International:Founded over 74 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest children's development organisations in the world. We work with children and communities in 48 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, and with our supporters and funders in 20 countries, to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty. Plan's vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies that respect people's rights and dignity. Plan is independent, with no religious, political or governmental affiliations. Plan works with more than 3.5 million families and their communities each year. In 2010, we worked with 37,931 communities in 48 developing countries, covering a population of 28.2 million children.
For further information please contact: Craig Hobbs Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness 1 Kim Seng Promenade #15-12 West Tower Great World City Singapore 237994 Phone: +65 9773 2803 Fax: +65 6491 5121 Thai Direct Phone: +66 2 668 3635 Thai Mobile: +66 8 2686 4540 Email: craig.hobbs@mediaalliance.asia www.mediaalliance.asia