Frozen River Film Festival - Kokota: The Islet of Hope
Mbarouk Mussa Omar is from a small East African Island called Pemba. Nearly ten years ago he visited a tiny neighbouring islet called Kokota and was shocked by what he saw. Kokota was teetering towards collapse, and Mbarouk knew climate change and deforestation were the culprits. He desperately wanted to help Kokota, but what could one poor man from Pemba possibly do?
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Craig Norris
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made Kokota because I thought it was a great story with an important message in this time of global climate change. Broadly speaking, I believe we have a tendency to over complicate problems, and I think this story proves that simple solutions can have huge impacts.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it might convince you that you don't have to be a genius millionaire to help your community adapt to climate change.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I personally believe that people tend to over complicate their problems, and that breeds apathy, so my films tend to try to simplify things. I want to make big scary problems less daunting and hopefully, that will inspire action.
I have also always believed that we should think global, but act local. National and international policy is extremely important, but I am naturally drawn to the micro. I have always been more interested in the stories of normal everyday people in rural places. I've always though that understanding the little places is the only hope we have for understanding the big picture. I think these overarching personal philosophies are embedded into a lot of my work.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Kokota was written and shot over a 65-day period, so I would say it was in a constant state of evolution during that period. Once I started editing I pretty much stuck to the script, although I ended up paring things back quite a bit, so the film is shorter than I originally intended, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing, in fact I could probably trim it a bit more.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People like the cinematography and the film's overall production value. People also seem to enjoy the hopeful tone of the film. In the end, I think it leaves the audience feeling pretty good, almost a bit energised, which I think is a very good sign and quite unusual for a film about climate change.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not yet, but honestly I haven't received a tonne of feedback. Our Q&A sessions following screenings have been pretty congratulatory in nature. People seem genuinely impressed by everything the people of Kokota have accomplished.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Collectively, I think filmmakers need to make more positive, solution-oriented docs. If we really want to effect cultural change I think more of us have to move in that direction - This seemed like a good place to float that idea.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We could really use help with distribution and promotion. We are a two person operation and we have currently have three docs touring internationally, three in production and another three or four in development. We would love to be able to focus on development and production. We want to continue to up our game as storytellers, but our focus is being stretched because we have to expend so much energy on distribution.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think the film's impact in the developed world will be really hard to measure. I hope it inspires more solutions oriented storytelling, but how do you measure that and it seems absurdly ambitious to say this film will shift the tone of the climate change conservation. So I guess I can say I hope it at least nudges the conversation in that direction.
In the developing world, I think the film could have very measurable results, it's all a question of getting it in front of the right people. If the film was played at high frequencies by national broadcasters in South East African countries for example, that could have a big impact. The Kokotan approach is so relevant to so many countries in Africa, sharing their story would be bound to inspire similar actions in similar communities.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When it comes to climate change adaptation, do tiny, old-fashioned places like Kokota matter?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are currently working on three new short docs, one is about climate change adaptation in Malawi, one is about wildlife connectivity in New Brunswick, Canada and the third is about recycling in my home town.
Interview: March 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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Kokota: The Islet of Hope
Mbarouk Mussa Omar is from a small East African Island called Pemba. Nearly ten years ago he visited a tiny neighbouring islet called Kokota and was shocked by what he saw. Kokota was teetering towards collapse, and Mbarouk knew climate change and deforestation were the culprits. He desperately wanted to help Kokota, but what could one poor man from Pemba possibly do?
Length: 29 min
Director: Craig Norris
Producer: Craig Norris
Writer: Craig Norris
About the writer, director and producer:
Craig Norris is an award winning Canadian documentary filmmaker. His work focuses on climate change, conservation and the environment.
Key cast: Mbarouk Mussa Omar & Jeff Schnurr
Looking for - Sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors
Funders: The European Union
Where can I see it in the next month? No where - It's already played at eleven festivals around the world and we are waiting to hear back from another dozen.