by Abdul Ali
Ever wonder what goes on around the world in a day? How ordinary things that we take for granted change meaning in different cultures? Creative entrepreneur and filmmaker Kyle Ruddick has chosen Sunday, Oct. 10 — capitalizing on its unique numerology of 10-10-10 — to spark a movement that brings together filmmakers, change agents and students to capture and upload events from all the nations of the world on onedayonearth.org in 24 hours.
The idea to tell one story using narrators from around the globe came to creator Kyle Ruddick while he was watching musicians from around the world perform on opening night of the 2008 World Festival of Sacred Music. Ruddick recalls that "what was disharmony became harmony, and a beautiful fusion of music came together for the first time." This ultimately became the impetus for his social-network project using cinema.
The project has garnered the attention of many media outlets. To date, more than 12,500 filmmakers are signed up to participate in this event. Heavyweight relief organizations such as Oxfam and Human Rights Watch are listed as sponsors. Filmmakers are welcome to participate during the 24-hour period. Participation information can be found here.
Of the many fascinating aspects of this social media venture is its ability to include stories from the African world that often aren't given a global platform in the way that this international event does. For instance, Kenyan filmmaker Merci Murgui has produced a fascinating film, Togetherness Supreme. Set in Kibera, a shantytown in Nairobi, "the story of Togetherness Supreme is a young artist's journey in search for peace in the midst of tribal conflict, betrayal, violence and uncertainty," says the official description.
Murgui will be participating today, recording someplace along her journey as she promotes the film. Check out the trailer here.
Abdul Ali writes about culture. His blog is Words Matter.