環(huán)球英語 — 353：FilmAid

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Voice 1

Hello. I’m Ruby Jones.

Voice 2

And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

People are gathered together. The atmosphere is exciting. The children quieten. The film is about to start! Watching a film is the last thing people thought they would do here. These people are refugees. They live in Kakuma camp, northern Kenya.

Voice 2

On a normal night around four thousand [4000] people gather at the Kakuma camp. The refugees travel from different areas to watch the film. They watch the film on a huge flat screen. The screen hangs from the side of the truck. It measures around three and a half metres by five. The crowds gather around it. All eyes are fixed on the screen. The people enjoy the films very much. Many of them come here three of four times a week to see a film. To them, the films are like a gift from God. There are not many ways to enjoy time in the refugee camp. The bright screen images and sounds fill people’s minds. For many, it is a welcome change from their usual mental images - of war and pain.

Voice 1

The films come from an organisation called ‘FilmAid.’ Caroline Baron started this aid group. She had the idea for ‘FilmAid’ in 1999. She was listening to a radio report one day. It was about refugees from Kosovo. And she heard how difficult their lives were. There was not much to do in the refugee camps. Their lives were hard. Caroline remembers;

Voice 3

‘I thought, what can I as a film producer do? What can the industry do? Something that was not just about raising money to send food and shelter. I could bring them what we create, what we live for, what we love, what is so universal’.

Voice 1

Caroline started work. She began telephoning people in the film industry. But she did not find it easy to persuade people to join her. Some questioned if her plan was a good one. Surely, they should be sending food and aid - not films?

Voice 2

So, Caroline spoke to the United Nations ambassador for Bosnia. And she spoke to the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees. He told her that more than half of the refugees were children. Many had witnessed mass killings and burials. He told her about one camp with a television. The television was small. There was limited space around it. And the atmosphere was hot. But still people had crowded around, in great numbers.

Voice 1

This was all that Caroline needed to hear! She went ahead with her plans. And in 1999, they were ready! They showed their first film. It was in Neprosteno refugee camp, Macedonia. Many children and adults came to watch. Caroline and the film team smiled. They had spent months working for this!

Voice 2

Today, FilmAid works in East Africa, Afghanistan, the USA Gulf Coast and Macedonia. They reach more than one million [1,000,000] people spread across seven camps. Some of the films provide education as well as enjoyment. In Tanzania the films address issues such as human rights, sex education, and health. These programmes have reached over two hundred thousand [200,000] refuges. FilmAid has also worked to train local people how to use filming equipment. A Somali Community Leader from Kakuma Refugee Camp said this;

Voice 3

‘The program is very important to this refugee camp. It is helping to change people’s behaviour in good ways. First of all, FilmAid brings unity to the camp. Secondly, it provides education in a situation where there is not enough. We have learned how to improve our relationships. And we have new ideas on how to solve problems.’

Voice 1

So, it seems the films are bringing education, enjoyment and hope to many. And for a short time, they bring a sense of normality to the camps. However, not everyone is able to concentrate on the films - even for a few hours. Hidagete Ismalie is a woman who was there when FilmAid first went to Kosovo. She stood in the refugee camp with her ageing father. Behind them, people watched an old film with the popular actor Charlie Chaplin. They laughed at the actor’s funny ways. Children clapped their hands. But Hidagete’s mind was too busy to watch the film. She was worrying about what to eat and where to sleep. She was wondering if her house still existed, if members of her family were still alive. ‘Maybe the films are nice for the children,’ she said.

Voice 2

Was Hidagete voicing the opinion of many? Should FilmAid put all its efforts into the usual, ‘practical’, aid? Caroline Baron said this,

Voice 3

‘People ask me, "How can you raise money for films when people clearly need food?" I ask the same question to the refugees. They say the film is like food for them. If their minds are not well, the food does not help.’

Voice 2

Similarly, A UN Refugee Agency worker said;

Voice 4

‘When people are in situations of this sort, it is not only the body that needs caring for. It is the mind and spirit as well.’

Voice 1

Refugees come together under a starlit sky. A young child smiles. Her eyes light up as she watches the exciting images across the screen. Somewhere in the back of her mind are adult images - of killings and blood. But for now, new images fill her young mind. It is a long time since this little girl has laughed. It is a long time since she acted like this - like a child.

Voice 2

At the back of the camp, a young man steps onto a truck. He is a refugee. But today, he is returning home. The truck will take him to the border. What does he think of FilmAid’s projects? He shrugs his shoulders as if he has no answer to the question. He apologises. He had not even noticed the film screen in his camp. His mind is too full for any new images. All he can see is the long road ahead.