Hand up!
A$3,670
of $3,600 targetyrs ago
Successful on 1st Jul 2012 at 2:00AM.
At the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, Iván Iparraguirre, Peruvian theatre director from "Teatro Pasmi" and Belgian theatre director Jean Marc Munaretti from "Acteurs de l'Ombre", cooperate in the direction of a play by Chilean theatre company "Fénix & Ilusiones", which will be premiered at the 25th International Community Theatre Festival ENTEPOLA in the Chilean summer of 2011.
The challenge of mounting this play does not come from the cultural differences of the people who create it, neither is it produced by the directors speaking different languages; but rather from the fact that "Fénix & Ilusiones" is a theatre group of male prisoners who work in spaces facilitated by the guards of the Colina 1 prison.
Even though they are incarcerated, they are free to create, to imagine, to interpret and to communicate, they have spent many years doing just this; and their annual goal is to perform a play of high artistic quality on the ENTEPOLA stage, even though they will only have minimal hours of rehearsal, and will have to face the inherent difficulties of the prison, the lack of control they have over their lives, and the everyday possibility of death.
The challenge of mounting this play does not come from the cultural differences of the people who create it, neither is it produced by the directors speaking different languages; but rather from the fact that "Fénix & Ilusiones" is a theatre group of male prisoners who work in spaces facilitated by the guards of the Colina 1 prison.
Even though they are incarcerated, they are free to create, to imagine, to interpret and to communicate, they have spent many years doing just this; and their annual goal is to perform a play of high artistic quality on the ENTEPOLA stage, even though they will only have minimal hours of rehearsal, and will have to face the inherent difficulties of the prison, the lack of control they have over their lives, and the everyday possibility of death.
The documentary reveals the powerful personal reflections that this "space of freedom" can generate. The film is driven by a narrative script and an original musical soundtrack.
The documentary is presently in post-production phase and it has been selected by the Documentary Australia Foundation as worthy of support:
"Hand up!" page in DAF
The money raised through Pozible will pay for the production of a 5 minute trailer to promote the film to possible sponsors/philanthropists.
Víctor Robles, "Hand up!" director
Director, filmmaker and editor Víctor Robles, is a graduate of the Audiovisual Communication course (specialising in Cinema and TV Direction), of the DUOC-UC Professional Institute in Santiago-Chile. Since 2004 he has run his own small business in independent film production: corporate and institutional videos, film and photographic coverage of seminars and talks; as well he has made many short documentaries covering the work of the NGO Teatro Pasmi.
- Short documentary made in 2008 by Victor Robles (Director "Hand up!") about Teatro Pasmi's work in prisons: "Theatre in the circle of freedom" on Vimeo (subtitles in English)
Background to the "Hand up!" documentary
Prisons house the
faceless "rubbish" of society who are there to be "reformed", and yet it
has been proved in many studies that prisons, by their disciplinary
nature, are incapable of achieving this objective.Prisoners have generally been "on the edge" most of their life, excluded or self-excluded from the system; they have lived society's flaws and can become powerful agents for social change. Theatre can be a catalyst for channeling this strength.
The work with the prisoners is horizontal, and group-directed; it fosters individual identity and creativity. Since 2002 Teatro Pasmi (Pasmi Theatre Company) has worked continuously with the men in Colina 1 Prison, which is on the rural periphery of Santiago, the capital of Chile. The prisoners have joint responsibility with the theatre workers for the creation of the shows and the direction of the work. The experience can help to prepare them to better deal with the volatile reality of the prison, and the many difficulties they face on release. Theatre in a prison setting is an under-recognised yet powerful tool for provoking reflection about yourself and the world around you.
The work with the prisoners is horizontal, and group-directed; it fosters individual identity and creativity. Since 2002 Teatro Pasmi (Pasmi Theatre Company) has worked continuously with the men in Colina 1 Prison, which is on the rural periphery of Santiago, the capital of Chile. The prisoners have joint responsibility with the theatre workers for the creation of the shows and the direction of the work. The experience can help to prepare them to better deal with the volatile reality of the prison, and the many difficulties they face on release. Theatre in a prison setting is an under-recognised yet powerful tool for provoking reflection about yourself and the world around you.
In "Hand up!" the participant's experiences and words resound, their eloquence leads us to understand the power that this "space of freedom" can create.
"Hand up!" follows the diverse aspects of a theatre process: discussion of issues and aesthetics, improvisations, rehearsals, performances and evaluation. Teatro Pasmi theatre workers: Iván Iparraguirre, Penelope Glass and Sebastián Squella. Original music: Claudio Cancino. Script: Gabriel Jiménez.
Long term strategies
Our aim is to link this Chilean story with Australia. Since the 1990's the number of theatre projects in Australian prisons has dwindled markedly. "Hand up!" will provide an inspiring example of what can be achieved. These are some of the strategies we are using to link the work between the 2 countries:
-
Penelope Glass, "Hand up!" producer, is writing a
PhD through Griffith University Applied Theatre School analysing prison theatre methodology.
She will participate in Prison Theatre colloquiums and conferences in Australia, linking up with the UTEM university in Chile. These events will lead to greater national and international debate and links
- Professional placements in Chile will be offered to Australian theatre workers and social science professionals (a program already established between Chile and Europe). This program will be offered to Australian universities and/or theatre schools
- An educational kit and study guide will be developed to accompany the finished documentary, for distribution in Australian high schools
DIGITAL THANK YOU CARD. LISTED AS TRAILER/DOCO SUPPORTER ON "HAND UP" WEBSITE
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Est. delivery is Jun 26
LISTED in "SPECIAL THANKS TO..." in TRAILER CREDITS + all above
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Est. delivery is Jun 26
DOWNLOAD COPY OF TRAILER (720x480) + all above
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COFFEE & CHAT WITH THE PRODUCER in AUSTRALIA (Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane) or in Santiago, CHILE + all above
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Est. delivery is Jun 26
INVITATION TO PRIVATE SHOWING OF TRAILER IN AUSTRALIA (Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne) or SANTIAGO & OPEN DEBATE ABOUT PRISON THEATRE (you get named and a big round of applause!) + all above
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Est. delivery is Jun 26
DVD OF FINISHED DOCUMENTARY WHEN RELEASED (PAL or NTSC) + all above
1 chosen
Est. delivery is Jun 26
LISTING IN FINAL CREDITS OF THE FULL DOCUMENTARY (with logo if desired) + all above
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Est. delivery is Jun 26