WeOwnTV: Idriss Kpange Filmmaker Fellowship

We are immensely proud to announce that WeOwnTV Filmmaker Fellow Tyson has just been awarded a HotDocs -Blue Ice Documentary film grant for his brilliant documentary film in production, Speaking Through Dreams. Congratulations Tyson!

Here is a description of the film: "In this haunting, bold and genre-bending film, director Tyson Conteh embarks on a spiritual journey to investigate the unnerving circumstances surrounding the death of his girlfriend, Fatmata, who bled to death after an enforced female circumcision ritual."

Below is an update we recently received from Tyson:

I am thrilled to let you know that the development funding request sent to HotDocs Blue Ice Group was successful. The official announcement is set up for the 5th of this month. This will give us a much needed push in the right direction of taking  Speaking Through Dreams to the next level.

I am continuing to develop and adapt new ideas, materials in a way that best tells my story. Primarily the film tells the story from my perspective, about losing my beloved Fatmata and how she began communicating with me through dreams. Her communications have proved to be both haunting and emotionally cathartic and most interestingly have led me towards disturbing facts surrounding the circumstances of her death. One key thing I am doing now that might likely be in the end product is the idea of me recreating the dreams between Fatmata and I. 

Bondo is not FGM. I am confident that this story and campaign can inspire a needed change in the expression of this culture. So far, I have filmed the ceremonies and traditions of the Bondo initiation. Coming close to these ceremonies has increased my faith in the continuation of the Bondo society by the women as this tradition reflects our beautiful culture but more than this, it has strengthened my spirit to strongly stand for putting an end to the cutting. The cutting is not religious; the cutting is not tradition; it is not our culture and our girls don’t enjoy it. Please see pictures below showing glimpses of the beautiful ceremonies of the Bondo I have filmed. I firmly believe, with this new support and the passion of our entire team that we can produce a film that honors Fatmata’s story while also influencing a needed change to this beautiful and important Sierra Leonean culture.

With Gratitude,

Tyson