Awareness Film Festival - Little Rebel
Little Rebel is about Isatou Jallow — a remarkable woman from The Gambia, and now Seattle resident. Since seeking asylum in 2012, Isatou has pursued graduate degrees at the UW Law School while she continuously advocates for women, asylees and people with disabilities. Dimensions of Isatou’s epic journey—from her origins and physical hardships to becoming a lawyer, demonstrate an ultimate resilience - which is deeply human, harrowing, and transcendent,…and part of the American immigrant story.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Aimie Vallat
Watch Little Rebel here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
We created Little Rebel as a pro-bono project in response to the US Administration's Muslim travel ban— and, ultimately, as a celebration of our asylee/refugee communities.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Little Rebel can create a dynamic and critical conversation for audience members by personalizing this galvanized topic of immigration in a relatable and moving way. Isatou’s story and insight opens our eyes to the experience of refugees and asylees, and the potential gifts they bring to our communities around the globe.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Isatou’s message in Little Rebel is a global one and awakens our understanding around the marginalized groups she represents; the disabled, Muslim voices, asylees, and women. In this way Isatou is a true celebration of our cultural diversity in the world. It is also a highly personal story where dimensions of Isatou’s epic journey—from her origins and physical hardships to scholarship, becoming a lawyer and leader, demonstrate an ultimate resiliency and altruism— which are deeply human, harrowing, transcendent, tenacious…and part of the immigrant story.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As with most documentaries there was some evolution of the story as interviews deepened and more stories were shared. As we learned more about Isatou’s incredible journey, we always came back to one of our main intentions for the film; highlight Isatou’s resiliency, despite whatever challenges she faced.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback for Little Rebel has been really wonderful. This story is not only timely in highlighting an issue that is at the forefront of American and global politics but it’s also a personal one, filled with a powerful and courageous woman’s voice - and I think viewers are hungry for those uplifting narratives right now.
We’ve been very fortunate to have the film picked up by most festivals we’ve applied to as well as it being shown at various non-profits working on issues of immigration. Its also being used at the University of Washington, where Isatou received her Masters In Law, and the film is being celebrated for its portrayal of academic excellence and personal triumph.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One thing we’ve been surprised by is that the Gambian community has really embraced Isatou and her story in Little Rebel. The film has been shared extensively in her home country and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
But I would say the most profound development with this story is that our crew, and Isatou, were granted a private meeting with the First Lady and President Barrow of the Gambia in New York City in mid September where he was attending the United Nations Summit. Isatou’s story (and Little Rebel) had come across his desk this past summer and the First Lady and President were then willing to sit down with Isatou to discuss her work on behalf of the disabled community in the Gambia. This meeting (and outcome) with President Barrow was very surprising. We didn’t expect the meeting to take place at all so when it did and they listened with attentiveness and respect to Isatou’s story, an important validation occurred --Isatou was honored as a powerful spokeswoman and trained lawyer, despite the fact she was a disabled woman. President Barrow and his cabinet saw her inherent value as an esteemed colleague with skills and expertise to offer and this was a seismic shift for the disability movement in the Gambia. Elements of this discussion with President Barrow were unprecedented in their potential positive outcome for other disabled Gambian’s and for recognizing Isatou’s role as a global advocate for the disabled. The full story of this meeting will be revealed in our longer format film of Little Rebel (to be released in 2018).
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping that by having Little Rebel on We Are Moving Stories it will allow more viewers to see and experience an asylee/refugee story and that by watching Little Rebel they might expand their understanding about the inherent value that they bring to our cultural, social and political landscape.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would love to have a distributor, film festival director or journalist come on board to help promote Isatou’s story. And ultimately if we could have help leveraging this short film in order to help get our longer format documentary off the ground, that would be ideal. We need more partners to make the longer version a reality and we are excited and open to new collaborations.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Our hope with Little Rebel is that film festival audiences might have the chance to experience a new kind of immigrant/refugee/asylee story -- one filled with personal and professional achievement in the midst of overcoming enormous odds. My hope is that this film offers not only a new perspective but humanizes a highly politicized issue by uplifting one woman’s voice.
Part of our intention in making this film was also to gift the film back to the non-profits that assisted Isatou on her asylum journey in order for them to raise awareness and money on behalf of their own advocacy work. We’d also love to have the film play at international festivals so those audiences can be part of the dialogue in their own countries around the growing concern over immigrant rights. These are universal stories and Isatou brings an intimate and revealing perspective about the experience.
Additionally we would love to see Little Rebel expanded into our longer format film in order to reach a bigger audience to television viewers. Having that kind of exposure would allow more awareness around not just the issues of immigration but also disability rights and the power of women’s voices.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What do you think immigrants, refugee’s & asylees bring to your own community?
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to thank Isatou Jallow for sharing her story. Not only is she one of the bravest people I have ever met but she opened up her life and invited us in...and to me that is one of the most courageous things anyone can do. I feel incredibly grateful that she asked Guido and I to share her story. And a testament to the trust we created during the production of Little Rebel, was that by the end of shooting, she asked Guido and I to join her on a trip to the Gambia where we she will work to develop her own non profit working with disabled children. This means extending our film into a longer format documentary and its a opportunity we are thrilled to be part of.
I’d also like to thank Guido, my co-creator in this project. This film wouldn’t be what it is without his exceptional skills as a DP nor would it happen without his enthusiastic championing of the story and Isatou’s work.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are expanding our current 9 minute Little Rebel film into a longer format documentary. We are working hard to fundraise for that longer film, develop our story, traveling to NYC and planning for our upcoming trip to the Gambia (January 2018). Its a wonderful opportunity to continue this story with Isatou as she pushes forward with developing her non profit as well as promoting new legislation for disability rights in the Gambia.
In addition to attending film festivals and promoting our 9 minute Little Rebel, Guido and I have another short film in creative development set in Japan about healing and reconciliation after the triple disaster in March 2011.
Interview: September 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Little Rebel
Little Rebel is about Isatou Jallow — a remarkable woman from The Gambia, and now Seattle resident. Since seeking asylum in 2012, Isatou has pursued graduate degrees at the UW Law School while she continuously advocates for women, asylees and people with disabilities. Dimensions of Isatou’s epic journey—from her origins and physical hardships to becoming a lawyer, demonstrate an ultimate resilience - which is deeply human, harrowing, and transcendent,…and part of the American immigrant story.
Length: 9:48
Director: Aimie Vallat & Guido Ronge
Producer: Aimie Vallat
Writer: Aimie Vallat & Guido Ronge
About the writer, director and producer:
Aimie Vallat | For the past twenty years, I've worked as a social change agent in the non-profit and documentary film sectors. Little Rebel is my second documentary.
Guido Ronge | I've worked for 25 years as a camera technician, assistant and now as a DP for commercials, documentaries, and corporate films all over the world.
Key cast: Isatou Jallow
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Buyers and Distributors and Festival Directors
Social media handles: varies - see below
Facebook: Aimie Vallat
Twitter: Aimie Vallat @ Reel Witness
Instagram: littlerebelfilm & Aimie Vallat
Other: littlerebelfilm.com & reelwitness.com
Funders: self funded
Made in association with: no one
Where can I see it in the next month?
Oct 6 Tacoma Film Festival Tacoma, WA 4:30
Oct 6 Awareness Film Festival Los Angeles, CA 9pm
Oct 8 Ellensburg Film Festival Ellensburg, WA 4:30
Oct 12 Tacoma Film Festival Tacoma, WA 2pm
Oct 14 Equality Film Festival Emeryville, CA
Oct 27 Gig Harbor Film Festival Gig Harbor, WA 12pm