Waimea Ocean Film Festival / Thunder Bay International Film Festival - Vey nou Lagon
When a Mauritian fisherman discovers that his livelihood is in jeopardy because of his own actions, he decides to lead a movement to protect the lagoons.
Interview with Director/Producer: Vanina Harel and Zara Currimjee
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
At the end of 2014, we elected a new government in Mauritius. The Ministry of Fisheries was renamed the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries, Shipping and Outer Islands, thus acknowledging the economic importance of marine resources. This was a turning point for the island, that led a new conservation initiative, inspired by neighboring islands, the official seasonal closure of octopus fishing. A national audiovisual campaign to raise awareness for lagoon conservation was organized by the government in association with local NGOs and we decided to make a film that would further the impact and engage people on an emotional level.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film tells the story of fishermen and women in Mauritius and Rodrigues but the stories are surprisingly relevant to any person who has had a connection with the ocean, and particularly to islanders. We all depend on our natural world for our survival and we can help reduce our impact on our oceans through simple everyday actions. This film inspires all of us to work together to make our world a better place.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Georgie’s story is very personal. We get to know his family, his life, his passion, his fears. His story is an example of what fishing communities face around the world and encourages us all to become good citizens of the Earth.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When we started working on this film, we knew we wanted to focus on ocean conservation but weren’t sure what angle to tackle. After scouting, research, and meeting with different stakeholders, we noticed that the fishing community was seldom herd in the debate on ocean conservation even though they deal with it every day on a very personal level. When we met Georgie, we knew he was the type of person who could share a story and inspire people to follow his lead.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Overall the feedback has been very positive. We have had a lot of support from people around the world during production and it has really helped us complete this project and make it as good as we possibly could. We couldn’t have done all of this without our supporters.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One of the goals of the film was to create a discussion, to engage people to take action and I think we have achieved that in different ways. Some of the topics in the film are controversial and that helped create an open discussion.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We hope to share Georgie’s inspiring story as much as possible around the world to encourage people to work together to protect our oceans.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have been selected in several festivals over the past two years and we hope to continue to travel around the globe. We are about to release the film online and it will be broadcast in the US this year. We are always looking to partner with more distributors to share the message further.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We would like to create a movement for the protection of our oceans at a local and international level.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can we all work together to protect our oceans?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am about to travel to the Philippines to make an underwater VR film for local schools supported by the National Geographic Society.
Interview: January 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. 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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Vey nou Lagon
When a Mauritian fisherman discovers that his livelihood is in jeopardy because of his own actions, he decides to lead a movement to protect the lagoons.
Length: 22 minutes
Director: Vanina Harel and Zara Currimjee
Producer: Vanina Harel and Zara Currimjee
Writer: Vanina Harel
About the writer, director and producer:
Vanina Harel: Vanina Harel is a National Geographic Explorer and environmental filmmaker who is passionate about making media that matters.
Zara Currimjee: Zara Currimjee is an ocean advocate who has experience working on the science, policy, philanthropic, educational, and legal aspects of marine conservation.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): buyers
Social media handles: @veynoulagon (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veynoulagon/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/veynoulagon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veynoulagon/
Other: veynoulagon.com
Funders: National Geographic Society, Center for Environmental Filmmaking, US Embassy to Mauritius and the Seychelles, Indian Ocean Commission, Smartfish, Air Mauritius, Tekoma, Harel Mallac Group, Rogers, LSL Digital, Flying Freaks, and Kickstarter supporters
Made in association with: Women in Film and Video
Where will the film screen in the next month? The film will screen at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival (TBIFF) in Alpena, Michigan on January 24-28 2018.