Guth Gafa Documentary Festival 2008

Activist Filmmaking - The Creation and Distribution of
No-budget Films

This side-bar seminar provides a platform for activist film-makers to discuss the methods they use to produce and disseminate films that are created on a no-budget basis. Films associated with two ongoing political campaigns are discussed: Those Who Dance, an account of the ongoing Rossport situation in Mayo, with Camilla Cancantata in attendance; and Tara Saga, a continuing documentary project associated with the current campaign to preserve the historic Tara site in the face of the construction of the M3 in County Meath. This project was initiated by Mark Cantwell, who Justice

will also be in attendance. Amanda Slevin, a representative of MAOR, a Donegal based lobby group on natural resources and environmental concerns, and Sharon O Farrell, a member of the Save Tara campaign will complete the line-up of this seminar.
Those Who Dance tells the story of a small community in the west of Ireland, and their resistance to Shell's plans to build a high-pressure gas pipeline and processing terminal on their land. It compares their situation to that of the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta, where Ken Saro-Wiwa and thousands of others died because of their non-violent opposition to Shell's activities. The film challenges viewers to consider the global impact of the petroleum industry and the inescapable reality of climate change. Questioning our dependence on fossil fuels, it is an impassioned call to embrace sustainable energy.

Camilla Cancantata is a composer and improviser with a background in theatre music. As co-founder of Footloose Community Arts, she facilitates workshops in local communities, often on environmental themes. Her compositions include a 'rough' opera: Soya Susie and the Gene Dictators and Trident, a British War Crime oratorio for unaccompanied voices. Camilla composed the music for Those who Dance. The film was directed by Mayyasa Al–Malazi who has been shooting and directing documentaries for 13 years. She has a strong commitment to feminist, social justice, environmental and community issues. Her work has been seen on Independent Television in the UK, Channel 4 News and public service TV in the US.
www.shelltosea.com (follow links to Those Who Dance)
www.corribsos.com

Mobilise Act Overcome Reclaim MAOR (an Irish word for 'guardian' or 'steward') is a group of individuals based in the north-west who came together in 2006 in solidarity with the Shell to Sea campaign and in response to the issues surrounding gas and oil exploration off the Donegal Coast which started on March 2008. MAOR aim to raise awareness of and generate discussion on ownership and management of Ireland's natural resources. Amanda Slevin is a community activist from East Donegal, and a founding member of MAOR.
www.maorderry.blogspot.com

Tara Saga is the working title of a documentary project about the ancient site of Tara in Co. Meath in Ireland. The project was spurred by the controversial development of a motorway through this ancient landscape and it is the intention of Mark Cantwell, the creator/co-ordinator of Tara Saga, that the website will act as a reservoir for the compilation of raw footage which will ultimately form the basis of an expanding documentary series. The majority of the videos are issued with a Creative Commons license which allows anyone to share them and to make new work from them. People are also encouraged to leave comments, and the website makes it clear that it welcomes contributions from those who oppose and support the motorway development.
www.itison.tv
www.itison.net

Sharon O Farrell was secretary of the campaign to save the Tara and Skryne Valley (STSV group) until a few years ago, and remains involved in the campaign. From an early age she had a fascination with heritage and culture, and with how our early history shaped who and what we are today. As a native of Navan, Tara became a familiar landscape to her over the years and it was through this connection that she became involved in the campaign to re-route the section of motorway that is to run through the Tara Skryne Valley. Sharon currently works as a psychotherapist and artist in the Navan area.