'I am here': talking about the now during film class with the ISK #vvu

Documentary filmmaker Femke Stroomer and Sanne Sprenger will make two films in the coming year with two classes of the International Switching Class (ISK) entitled I am here. Part two of a report on this Treaty of Utrecht Community Arts Project.

The footballing boys in the schoolyard do not shout "come on with that ball!", but with heavy accent "can I have a loaf of bread from you? The whole team doubles over that exclamation. At the Internationale Schakelklassen in Utrecht, Dutch is still something to be conquered - they can already play football.

 

Win

This certainly applies to Yasir (20, Somalia) who carries a photo with him showing him with a big grin and a big cup. Yasir tells Vivi (almost 18, Hungary) that the photo was taken in prison. His team had won the football tournament and he was allowed to have his picture taken on behalf of everyone.

'Why is the photo important to you?' asks Vivi. 'It's important because it's my group. Because we won. That was it,' says Yasir who spent six months in jail for not having papers. But he doesn't tell that on camera, he does afterwards.

The roles are reversed: now Vivi gets to tell something about her picture. Fawas (18) is now the interviewer, while Yasir operates the camera, as all interviews are filmed.

ISK

The class of Fawas, Vivi and Yasir participates in the project I am here by filmmakers Femke Stroomer and Sanne Sprenger. In twenty weeks, the class will make a film about their own lives. The youngsters get to film, direct, interview and edit. In January 2013, another class will follow the same path. Two films will be the final result. The films will be screened during the Treaty of Utrecht event in June 2013.

The youngsters, who range in age from 15 to 20, have now had four lessons. They have been working in groups on camera technique, interview methods and making photo strips using photos they have taken themselves.

Above all, they also learn many words, say Emal (16, Afghanistan) and Munira (almost 17, Somalia), such as 'zoom' and 'flash' and 'up' and 'down'. Emal wants to be a cameraman later. He demonstrates what he knows about different camera angles. Munira is going to do administrative work, but she demonstrates that she can draw a storyboard about buying an ice cream. She giggles at it.

Groups

The classroom atmosphere is remarkably friendly. Teacher and mentor Rob is working hard on that. 'It is an important condition to teach these young people as quickly as possible in as many areas as possible. Some came to the Netherlands as illiterates, others have never really worked together. There are so many levels at which they can learn something.'

Emal and Munira are also happy that the classroom atmosphere is so good. 'It's a funny class,' says Munira. What's also nice: before this project, they didn't know much about each other. After these lessons, they already know a lot more. Asked why, Munira hesitates. Then she says: 'It's just...we mostly talk about now.'