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Frequently Asked QuestionsHere we try to answer the most important and frequently asked questions about the Steps for Democracy Project. You can ask any question through the "contact us" form (link on the right upper corner).
Where will the films be made? The focus of most films will be on countries ‘in transition’ – i.e. where the practice of democracy is recent, where it may be endangered, or where the dilemmas of contemporary democracy are most apparent. But we are not looking for “third world films”. The project will consider any proposal – shot in any country and with any subject matter. We will deal with those in power and those who are powerless. We feel that this is the best way of examining the reality of democracy in an emotionally and intellectually challenging way. What will the style be like? We will consider any style or format. Film-making has been transformed by freely available and cheap technology. The costs of shooting and editing films are going down each year. We believe that broadcasters have failed to make the most of these innovations. One possibility is to commission films made in this new style, for example:
How will the films work? The films are not about the state of democracy – but how it works, or why it doesn’t. They are not didactic. They offer no single model of democratic practice or behaviour. And they are not intended – always – to be sombre, on the grounds that one should be able to laugh about democracy. Only ten years ago it could be confidently predicted that the world had arrived at the ‘end of history’- which turned out to mean no more than that everyone would shortly wish to acquire a number of Internet terminals, a written constitution and a platinum Amex card. These claims seem ridiculous in the wake of such developments as terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, the revolt against the idea of free markets in the West, and a widespread disillusionment with the idea that the future necessarily belongs to laissez-faire capitalism. In the 1990s the vast expansion of global capitalism was believed to be bringing with it democracy. But many people are now having second thoughts about this. Do free markets invariably bring stability? Do they strengthen institutions? In many instances, the opening up of countries to capitalism produces violent anti-modern reactions. Nor is it the case that new wealth is evenly spread. Some critics are beginning to believe that in many instances global capitalism is destroying, or retarding the spread of democracy. What questions will be addressed? The New Elite. Who are the Marcoses of our time – the nouveaux-riches of the USSR, and the new oil states? How does a head of state deal with the IMF? And how does the new President of Argentina set out to deal both with a ruined economy and a legacy of national mayhem? Do most politicians retain the power to do very much anyhow? Institutions. We draw the definition of what is important very widely. Elections in Mongolia are hard to organize – because no-one has a fixed address. How long does it take to organize a democracy from scratch – and, as important, is it possible to do this in DIY style, with a kit. As yet it’s hard to tell whether so much effort in Iraq or Afghanistan will amount to anything. It could do – but it might not… Individuals. The contemporary world is filled with off-beat, maverick campaigners – whistleblowers, the bloody-minded, the uncowed or the merely exasperated. Such people still end up in jail. But sometimes they are able to survive, even achieving something, though they may not be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the story of Zackie Achmat, for instance, who declined to take anti-retroviral drugs for his HIV positive condition – because he was protesting the South African government’s refusal to supply treatment for AIDS. Values. In the contemporary world there are several discussions about the real content and meaning of democracy. Equality? Freedom of expression? Respect of minority opinions? Understanding the reasons for the behaviour of others without necessarily accepting it? Life and Death. Many experiments in democracy don’t end happily. Half-democracies are in vogue – places where the appearance of democracy coexists with the suppression of liberties. We will accept films about coups, censorship, soft dictatorships or growing anarchy. How will the website operate? An essential part of the project will be the website for coordinating information about the project and to provide a platform to stimulate and support debate on democracy. In order to make the project global, we intend to have this website accessible in as many of the major languages of the world as possible. As an interactive site there will be a continuous discussion on the subject of the films with input from specialists and activists from around the world. Direct information on the project, the process of workshops, film commissions, will be combined with input from the filmmakers. The website will also be a working tool for the distribution and outreach where facilitator guides and orders for copies of the films in the different languages can be downloaded. How will the project be commissioned and financed? Steps International was set up in 2004 as an extension of the work of Steps For The Future. The latter produced and distributed 38 films dealing with the AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. Films were directed and edited by local film-makers. The STEPS team, in conjunction with Cape Town’s Day Zero Productions supplied technical assistance and training as well as supervising production. The films were entertaining and relevant to local audiences. As well as being screened by SABC, and other African broadcasters, Steps For The Future films were also shown throughout Europe, Canada and Australia. The idea behind the STEPS project was simple: to raise money throughout the world, put in place a support system for local production, and supervise the making of films. Its success was evident in the quality of the films. To meet international production standards, STEPS also provided South African film-makers with easy access to skills and training. Commissioning Editors, Producers, and Editors came from Europe and North America to supply ad hoc tuition – with often spectacular results. The learning process implied by making the films was in the long term as important as the films themselves. The South African model is an important one because it opens up new ways of commissioning and making films outside the so-called developed world. Steps International aims to take further the simple principles of this first experiment, raising money, channelling it through an appropriate organization, making it possible to produce films from any country in the world that are relevant, and that can find both an international audience and a local one. |