Reel Intercultural Dialogue Project - Global

This project is an effort to provide cinema and television schools with the opportunity to let their most talented students produce content directed at their peers. Reflecting local perspectives on global issues in young voices, these films are being distributed through the Internet to national and international media, as well as to secondary schools worldwide.

The series of independent fiction films have no dialogue and, according to organisers, are suitable for all viewers. They deliver the young filmmakers' vision of humanity in peace and harmony and are dedicated to the international community. Messages of tolerance, dialogue, and peace are delivered in different ways, depending on the cultural backgrounds of each producer's home country. Here is a synopsis of the films:

1. The New Beginning (India) - one boy loses his kite and destroys the kite of another boy, which results in a fistfight between the two. They ended up being trapped on top of the building - until they realise that the only way to get out of the situation is to join efforts and help each other.
2. Los Vecinos (Mexico) - a group of neighbours clash because of the noise each of them makes. An accident occurs; the once-conflicting neighbours find themselves confronting the situation together.
3. The Red Toy (Israel) - a toy tape emits a simple beat that becomes a rhythm, which randomly changes hands in the alleyways of Jerusalem Old City. Transcending the various occupants of the enclave, its journey sketches the varying characters of the City: Arabs, Jews, soldiers, tourists, and a local boy who simply desires freedom.
4. Wild East (Romania) - a young man tries to cross the border to look for a better life. Like other refugees, what he wants is a land where he can live in a manner consistent with his own values, find a way to understand other people, and coexist with tolerance. But for this young man, such a world does not exist...
5. 1 ou le Cercle de Danse (Burkina Faso) - a young hero named Olamidé challenges the leader of a dance circle with the purpose of spreading tolerance and acceptance among his community members. Instead of ousting the defeated leader from the circle, he offered him peace and friendship, setting an example of reconciliation among his people.

Project Coordinator Rosa M. Gonzalez offers this description of the communication strategy underlying Reel Intercultural Dialogue: "We chose film and television because images can overcome language barriers. Television can reach billions of people worldwide conveying images that are often "worth a thousand words". Secondly, we chose fiction because it is a genre that provides the necessary distance to tackle sensitive issues while facilitating identification processes. Finally we chose to work with young filmmakers enrolled in television and cinema schools because we wanted to hear new ideas on conflict resolution reflecting challenging perspectives and unconventional approaches."

In addition to DVD dissemination, these films may be viewed online. Visitors to the Reel Intercultural Dialogue website may watch the movies, read biographies of the directors, learn about the motivation behind and message of each film, and find more information about the school with which the young director is affiliated.

Conflict, Youth.