South sudanese futuresROLE: Writer, Director, Researcher / PROJECT TYPE: Multidisciplinary Research
Since 2010 I have worked with members of the Australian South Sudanese diaspora on a range of documentary projects. Beginning with Miss South Sudan Australia, a half hour documentary produced by Matchbox Pictures for the ABC, across a range of research projects, culminating in Set the Tone a pilot talk show episode that became the creative centre piece of my practice led Phd.
Set the Tone is about shifting up the conversation, opening up points of view & challenging the status quo. It’s about creating a platform for young women from the African diaspora to deep dive into the issues that matter to them and challenge assumptions from both within and outside their communities.
At the centre is Set the Tone, an on-line talk show conceived by Adier Maluk, Angeth Malual, Adior Deng & Yar Biar – young Australian women of South Sudanese descent driven to create a platform that speaks to them and their peers. The team decided to make Colourism the topic of the pilot episode.
Two years after a long fought for independence, South Sudan became engulfed in civil conflict. A documentary project on South Sudanese independence stalled and questions arose around hope, aspiration and political agency.
How might a documentary filmmaking practice contribute to creating alternative futures?
A workshop to imagine alternative South Sudanese futures marked an early exploration into documentary futures and the possibilities of this expanded practice.
