Happy participants of the Screenings of Joy programme.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

In the framework of the Cultural Ambassadorship Program for the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Comorian Ministry of Culture and ALECSO, in partnership with the Ambassador for Culture, Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan Al Nahyan, recently organised an intensive training workshop titled From Idea to the Screen with the aim of developing the capabilities of Arab youth and empowering young talent. Such an event was being held for the first time in the Comoros.

It was an integrated cultural and artistic programme organised in Moroni, capital of Comoros. The opening was attended by Yazid Ben Ali, Chief of Staff of the Comorian Minister of Culture, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Youth Zahria Sayed Ahmed, Dr. Noureddine Pasha, Advisor to the Executive Board of ALECSO, Youssef Ahmed, Secretary General of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science at ALECSO, Aisha Ibrahim Naghazi, Head of the Youth and Women Support Section in the Establishment of Small and Medium Enterprises at the Ministry of Culture and Youth, and Haifa Bseiso, social influencer and content creator.

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“The programme succeeded in achieving its goal to spread optimism and positivity among the Comorian youth through a cultural and artistic dialogue by introducing the culture of the United Arab Emirates, screening a collection of Emirati and Arab films and providing a training workshop on the film industry,” say the organisers.

One of the outputs of the workshop was the production of four short films of one minute duration each, by Comorian film amateurs. The activities began in the Moroni, with the From Idea to the Screen training workshop, presented by film director and UNESCO expert Dr. Abderrahmane Lahy. 50 young Comorian film enthusiasts, young directors and people with varied talents, took part in it.

The workshop was launched by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, ALECSO Director General. He delivered a speech virtually, saying: “We meet today for the third time to launch a number of cultural and media activities at the Arab regional level within the programme of the ALECSO’s Ambassador for Arab Culture, an occasion in which we renew our thanks and gratitude to the Ambassador for Culture.  

  Asking a question during the workshop.

“This is an honour that confirms the leading role of the United Arab Emirates and highlights its status and the efforts of its wise leaders in promoting joint Arab cultural action and serving the causes of peace and sustainable development nationally, regionally and internationally.”

Yazid Ben Ali said: “On behalf of Jaafar Salem Allawi, Minister of Youth, Labour, Sports, Arts and Culture, I welcome the delegation from different cultural disciplines and sectors, all of which are strengthened by our belonging to the Arab world.” He thanked Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan Al Nahyan, Ambassador for Culture to ALECSO, for her interest in spreading awareness, intellectual and cultural accord among Arab people, and her quest in culture as a bridge for sustainable development. He also thanked the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Moroni.

Wahida Hassani, Director of Culture at the Ministry of Youth, Labor, Sports, Arts and Culture of the Comoros, said: “I would like to thank Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan Al Nahyan for this commendable initiative aimed at promoting Arab cinema in our islands. I am very proud of this exceptional Arab achievement, and I assure you that based on the interest shown by the participants during these two days of the workshop, the government must take (further) measures to develop this emerging and ambitious sector.”

The workshop went into the principles of cinema and the various stages of the film industry, from idea to planning and from production to distribution. Dr. Abderrahmane Lahy said that “there are many initiatives that support the cultural and artistic fields in the Arab countries; but they vary greatly in depth and reach. What I like about the Cultural Ambassador’s initiative, and what distinguishes it for me, is the method of preparation, proper implementation and subsequent follow-up. The Screenings of Joy programme is characterised by a high degree of organisation and accuracy; so all parties understand its details and dimensions and therefore it is adopted collectively, in which all strive for its success.”

According to him, what distinguished the Cultural Ambassadorship and Anasy Media (producer of the programme) was that it supported and further developed the skills of those who attended it. He added: “I practiced cultural and technical training for more than two decades and moved as a coach between many Arab, African and other countries. But I did not see such a rush, passion and discipline as the Comoros youth. They were present, interacting moment by moment, and their views were thought through and their knowledge advanced … They well deserve these programmes of joy.”

The participants in the workshop received a summary of the important stages in the history of cinema, the elements that make up cinematic art, the principles of screenwriting and editing, the values and connotations of angles, the elements of the artistic and technical teams of a film, and the stages of film production, from preparation through filming, editing and also mixing.

The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates of thanks and appreciation and the production of four short films: Demande en Mariage (Marriage Proposal); La Fille Abandonne (The Abandoned Girl) by Hachim Charif; Umani by Ali William and Chantage (Blackmail) by Hamidou Ali Ali. They were produced by four groups of young film enthusiasts, and were presented at the end of the workshop.