Journeyman Film Company

Working in media production, sometimes I feel like a bit of a parasite — using the camera to gaze and feed upon the stories of others. I’ve produced documentaries and current affairs segments, and have relied always on the energy and good will of subjects to share their stories and to give their time — and often, to lay their souls bare — so that I can produce whatever bit of media I’m working on and deliver it to an audience. It’s how I make a living. And the more I “get” from my subjects, the better “my” product is going to be. And I’ve had at least one subject feel uneasy about me “making a living off” his story. (more…)

We found Mr. Mbye Chaw in the heart of a Banjul neighbourhood, and he graciously welcomed us to sit down in the courtyard of his family’s compound. He held forth on a few subjects that are his passion, education and culture and community. But he talked specifically about the evil of education. The fact that today, in The Gambia and elsewhere, education teaches people how to get through the system, but doesn’t teach us who we are. That, he says, should be what education does. “You can read all the books, you can learn all the science, but that will never give you intelligence. That comes from co-existence, from understanding the humanity of each other.” (more…)