Student Funding Archive
Scroll down to see titles and brief synopses for all of the media supported by One World Media's Student Media Fund, going back to 2001. Many of the students were based at UK institutions, but some were based overseas.
2011
The Changing Face of India (TV) - William Hartley, University of Salford
For centuries beards and moustaches have been integral to Indian culture. This film gives a history of India through the medium of the Indian Moustache, and look at the notion of whether there is an increasing westernisation of India.
The Beauty Behind the Veil (print) - Evrydiki Katsoulaki, Cardiff University
Focusing on the hijab as a fashion statement, this print article explores how Muslim women feel about the veil. The veil is often worn proudly by college girls or independent single women as a symbol of Islamic identity, and this piece articulates how women's sexuality can be elegantly reflected through this modest fashion.
The Doctor Who Dreamed (radio) - Lucy Laycock, University of Westminster
In many developing world countries, a child with Type 1 diabetes faces a lifetime of discrimination and an ongoing struggle for survival. But in India, one inspirational doctor is struggling in the face of stigma and poverty to give diabetic children the chance of a normal life.
Aid20 / Mobile Africa: From the Roots Up (radio/multimedia) - Clare Salisbury, University College Falmouth
In the developing world, advances in technology are already having profound social consequences. This piece looks at the ways that NGOs in Ethiopia and Kenya are using new technologies, including mobile phones, to deliver aid. For an industry which revolves around education and human support, is technology the way forward?
Bagong Silang (TV) - Giselle Santos, London College of Communication
Bagong Silang (New Born) is a short documentary film about a community living in a cemetery on the outskirts of Manila, Philippines. It tells the story of this extraordinary, resilient, and resourceful community that has made the graveyard not only their home but also their place of work.
Kung-Fu Grandma (TV) - Jeong-One Park, Royal Holloway University of London
In the Korogocho slum in Nairobi, a group of women in their 50s to 80s is learning Kung-Fu. The women have been targets for sexual violence because of the erroneous belief that intercourse with an elderly woman can cure AIDS. This film features these Kung-Fu grandmothers and explores the dark circumstances motivating them.
North Korea. Open. (TV) - Philip Pendlebury, University of Salford
This is an expedition into the world's most alienated nation state, following local music promoter and travel agent Dylan Harris as he tries to organise North Korea's first international golf tournament.
High Peak Learning (print) - Josefin Wendel, University of Sheffield
In Nepal, against the backdrop of the breathtaking Himalayan mountains, and with widespread political instability and corruption, media students in Nepal are learning what it means to be journalists. This piece tells the story of the first cohort of students at Kathmandu University to graduate in media studies.
God Save the Punk (TV) - Sofia Bouzidi, Onyeka Igwe
There is now an emerging movement of young people who use Islam and punk as a way of defining their lives. In this film Sofia Bouzidi - who is British, Algerian, and punk - takes us inside this growing culture in Algeria and the UK.
2010
Zip Zap... A Social Circus - Jessie Ayles, Goldsmiths
This is a story of South Africa's children, overcoming hardships and building a new culture of peaceful coexistence through the medium of circus arts. For its students and collaborators, Zip Zap circus is more than just a circus, it's a family and a home. This film gives a voice to the youth of South Africa who are breaking down social norms one performance at a time.
Why Wall? - Marta Migdalek, Cardiff University
Favela Dona Marta, one of Rio's shanty towns, is like others - colourful, lively, yet dangerous - except that it is encircled by a 3-meter-high wall. This radio piece investigates the issues surrounding the construction of the wall while presenting its human aspect - the favela itself.
Ratita - Fany de la Chica, Royal Holloway
This film centres around Ratita, a girl injured by a landmine in her native Cambodia. She lives in the 'Dove's House', an education and training centre for injured children founded by a Spanish priest.
Fly Little Birds - Emma Greaves, Goldsmiths
This film follows three young women, Jerusha, Margaret and Alice, who have grown up in a children's home for AIDS orphans in Thika, Kenya as they prepare for their move out of the home and into society as independent adults.
Living Without Men - Yi Luo, Goldsmiths
If you only had two options, to submit to an arranged marriage or take a vow of celibacy for the rest of your life, which would you choose? This film tells the story of Chinese women who chose the latter and kept the vow for 80 years with pride and loneliness, but no regret.
Voices from a Shattered Land - Zoe Graham, University College Falmouth
How do landmine victims cope with life after an event that has potentially alienated them from their communities and loved ones? Are there stories that show hope? This film focusses on landmine victims in Mozambique and how they cope with this life-altering trauma.
2009
Laguna Negra (The Black Lagoon) - Michael Watts, Royal Holloway
This film explores the core values of a peasant community in Northern Peru, the way the fabric of this society has been threatened by large mining interests, the violent manner in which protest against the project has been met, and the dismissiveness of the Peruvian government towards the alternative models of development that have been put forward by the community.
Blood of Our Nation - Aashish Gadhvi, Royal Holloway
This film features the story of Aashish's nephew - Karan Mod, a 12-year-old boy living in India with thalassaemia - a blood disease that requires regular blood transfusions. It follows Karan and his family as they meet the various challenges that face a family in today's India.
Rainbow - Ryan Wu, University of Ulster
Lin, a 16-year-old boy living in rural China, must give up his family and his childhood home and set out alone on a daunting journey to Guangzhou city in search of work. The film portrays the effects of China's economic crisis on its people and, in particular, the reality of urban migration for one young Chinese man.
Ballerinas - Tatiane Feres, Brunel University
This film follows two blind people in Brazil - one who is training to become a professional ballerina, and the other who teaches classical ballet - both part of a unique Brazilian dance company called 'Fernanda Bianchini', which teaches visually impaired Brazilian girls to become professional ballerinas.
2008
Mini Ku Suto (Come With Us) - Alexia Dickinson, Goldsmiths
A film about the village of Palenque de San Basilio, the only Columbian black community that still speaks a non-Spanish language, and a place that is the subject of discrimination from many other Columbians.
Songbirds of the Kora and the Kamelen N'goni - Kevin McSorley, University of Ulster
A documentary featuring two Malian women who have had success as musical instrumentalists in the face of criticism from some of their male peers.
Portrait of a Glacier - Marcelo de Oliveira and Victoria Thomas
The Yaghan people of Patagonia have always believed that, through shamanic rituals, they can control the weather. But with climate change impacting upon the environment that surrounds them, what does this mean for their existence and their beliefs?
A Spark in Him - Claudia Engels, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
'A Spark in Him' is a film about the life story of Sajay Kumar, a young man without arms who lives in Kerala, India and studies at the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts.
Lady Mukhtar - Dîdem Sahin, Brunel University
This film tells the story of a Turkish neurophysiologist who, after many years in the USA, decides to realise her childhood dream of becoming a 'mukhtar', or leader, in the Turkish village where her family is from.
2007
I am HIV Positive by Parisa Aminolahi, Royal Holloway
The story of a woman living with HIV in Tehran as she faces stigma and discrimination in her everyday life.
A Song for Chile by Lawrence Saleem-Ahmad Martin, Goldsmiths College
This film follows Chilean musician Vladimir, as he travels back to his homeland for the first time after years of exile imposed by the Pinochet dictatorship.
Mama Zar by Roxana Pope, Edinburgh College of Art
An intimate portrait of Mama Zar, a remarkable woman who heads the Zar ceremonies (an ancient shamanic healing ritual) on the Iranian island of Quesm.
Just Like Mom by Maria Eduarda Andrade, Goldsmiths College
Set in Brazil, this film portrays three generations of single mothers in the same family as they recount their experiences of violence, alcoholism and destitution.
The City of Widows by Purnima Ragunath, Brunel University
A fascinating insight into the hidden lives of abandoned widows in the Indian pilgrim city of Vrindavan, who have dedicated their lives to the service of God.
Weaving Life: On the Panama Hat’s Trail across Ecuador by Katharina Rau, Brunel University
A cultural and anthropological journey following the key production stages of the Panama Hat, narrated by three central characters.
Hope Despair Laughter: A Circus Project in Palestine by Esther Hertog, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
A film showing the hopes and fears of children living in the midst of conflict within a refugee camp in Bethlehem. The Palestinian youth circus project SHIRAA is brought to life.
Lal Masjid (The Red Mosque) by Syed Stef Amjad Ali, Royal Holloway
The film follows the personal journey of the film maker - from his own experience as a hard line religious extremist in Pakistan to that of a documentary film student in the UK.
Re-learning the Basics: Cambodia and the Battle for Education by Charlotte Dubenskij, Cardiff University
The remarkable life story of Mr Rarn who made the transition from tuk tuk driver to college graduate via sheer hard work, determination and a bit of good luck.
Extradio by Daniellis hernandez, EICTV, Cuba
A personal discovery in which the director contrasts her original expectations of people of African descent living in the UK with the reality she finds.
Welkom na London by Levi Saville, AFDA, South Africa
This film explores the little-known world of South African youth culture in England. This documentary aims to be an eye opener for those who dream of moving from South Africa to the UK.
Bridging my Home by Debanjan Bandyopadhyay,Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, India
The film follows the Bengali artist Moushumi Bhowmik and her band, who all reside in London, and looks at the unique phenomenon of two conflicting cultures uniting through music.
2006
It’s Not Easy by Gustavo Gama Rodrigues, Goldsmiths
An insight into Cuba’s current political, social and economic paradoxes told through the eyes of two Cuban mothers.
After the Rains Came by Sarah Thomas, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
An intimate portrait of the semi-nomadic pastoralist people of Samburu, Northern Kenya.
Sebastian by Gabriella Kessler, Goldsmiths College
The tragic legacy of Argentina’s military dictatorship on the lives of one family.
A Shameful Art by Recha Hosseinnia, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
Exploring the question: why does Egyptian society judge belly dancers so harshly?
The Saiga Story by Julia Mills, University College Falmouth
This film identifies the human story behind illegal saiga poaching in rural Kazakhstan.
Feel Good Factory by Gopi Shastri, Goldsmiths
A touching and at times humorous romp through the burgeoning world of Indian male grooming obsession.
Umoja: Independent Women by Cleopatra Mukula, Brunel University
This film depicts the resilience of rape survivors living in a women only village in Samburu, Northern Kenya.
Their Helicopter by Salome Jashi, Royal Holloway
A Call too Far by Dipti Gogna, Film & Television Institue of India, Pune
Exploring the impact on local call centre staff in India of the flood of financial services and call centre operations in the UK.
2005
Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes by Peter Conteh, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
Set in Sierra Leone, this documentary depicts the day to day realities of life at the bottom rung of the diamond mining industry.
Dona Juju’s Party by Lindsay Goodall, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
This film explores the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé.
Khymer Street Kids by Stuart Froude, Bournemouth Media School
An exploration of the realities of child homelessness in Cambodia.
We Don’t Exist by Carola Hesse, Goldsmiths
A poignant tale of what life is like for the Bedouin people of Negev, Israel, as seen through the eyes of one family struggling to be heard and recognised by their own government.
Saint or Fallen One? by Jessica O’Keefe, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
The life and dreams of a charismatic and controversial aspiring Ghanaian politician. With Michael Jackson as his hero and the battle against poverty as his task, is Haruna Mohammed the progressive politician that Ghana needs?
Tungzi Street by Xiaoxiao Sun, Royal Holloway College, London University
A portrait of elderly men living in China’s changing times.
Voices Across the Ocean by Ganesh Gaikwad, Film & Television Institute of India, Pune
This film centres on the images an adolescent conjures up while listening to BBC Hindi Service and how his perceptions of London meet with the reality of being there.
2004
The Real Brazilian by Bruna Gagliardi, Goldsmiths College
"What does it mean to be Brazilian? In my journey, from the Brazilian countryside to cosmopolitan London, I must have left my Brazilianness somewhere, and the aim of this documentary is to track it down.....''
People of the Sand by Iracema Sodre Fonseca de Salles, Goldsmiths College
The region known as LençÏŒis Maranhenses in the north-east of Brazil is a place full of mysteries, sand dunes and blue lagoons. But it is also the home of people who struggle to live despite the generosity of nature.
Milking the Desert by Yasmin Fedda, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
This film is a silent journey into the everyday meditative rythm of the Mar Musa (Ethiopian) Monastery in Syria.
The Second Red Line by Veera Lehto, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
The film follows the work of volunteers working with HIV/AIDS patients in the Buduburam Refugee Camp, Ghana. Due to the lack of adequate medication the only thing the volunteers can offer is their care and compassion.
My Brother My Enemy by Masood Khan, National Film and Television School
India and Pakistan have a delicate relationship. As the Indian cricket team tours Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, the filmmakers – one Indian, one Pakistani – visited each other’s homelands to glimpse feelings on both sides of the border.
Homeland by Hannah Skrinar, Northern Media School
On the border between Slovakia and Ukraine lies a Rutherian village divided by a fence. Over the past 100 years it has found itself in Czechoslovakia, wartime Hungary and the USSR. This film looks at this East/ West divide though the eyes of the locals.
2003
Born to Serve? by Louise Bonnar, Bournemouth Media School
Each year girls leave the Andes and their families in droves to work as maids in Peru’s capital, Lima. This film follows an Andean mother, Luz, as she leaves her children to find work in the big city.
Apollo 11 by Caroline Deedes, National Film and Television School
Caroline’s mother recalls that when Americans landed on the moon, Ghana was struck by an epidemic of eye infections, painful and temporary outbreaks of blindness known as Apollo 11.
Born Again by Carla Huysmans, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
Carla last met Maureen Mulozi in 1998 in Lusaka, Zambia, where they were friends. Since then Maureen has became a born-again Christian and moved to a remote Namibian settlement teaching English. Will their friendship survive this religious gap?
Bailarinas by Heidi Lipsanen, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
The film follows the lives of two girls in an Afro-Brazilian dance group called Majê Molê. This is a film about childhood and loss, the hope found through dance and the happiness of motherhood.
Flowers Don’t Grow Here by Shira Pinson, The London Film School
Exploring the daily struggles of the homeless surviving on the streets of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Brilliant by Haná Vaisman, Goldsmiths College
Brazilian children dream of becoming professional football players. Run by an extraordinary lady called Sonia Luz, Brilliant is starting to make this dream possible.
2002
The Most Admired Man by Julia Berg, Granada Centre of Visual Anthropology
Known as the 'Daoist Physician of Jade Dragon Mountain', Dr Ho receives hundreds of visitors every year in his small village in South West China. What lies behind Dr Ho and his fame?
Life on the Tracks by Ditsi Carolino, National Film & Television School
The railway lines in the Philippines are not just a meeting point for trains. With the shanties springing up either side of the tracks, how does family life exist within its confines?
In the Name of Honour by Hammad Ghaznavi, Bournemouth Media School
A deep step inside a world where the brutal custom of honour killing still thrives in rural Pakistan, a film told through the eyes of the victim’s mother and her killer: her uncle.
Kawah Ijen by Philip Mulroy, National Film and Television School
This is an observational film about three sulphur collectors atop a volcano in Indonesia.
Long Way Home by Yeonah Paik, Goldsmiths College
The search for the real story of the filmmakers' grandfather General Hong, executed in the Philippines in 1946.
After Years of Walking by Sarah Vanagt, National Film and Television School
The rewriting of Rwanda’s post-1994 history, set against a Belgian missionary film of its ‘prehistory.’
Bhajay and Ravi by Rachel Webster, Granada Centre of Visual Anthropology
An intimate portrait of life and friendship on the streets of India.
2001
Nahid Siddiqui - Beena Sarwar, Goldsmiths College
A portrait of the well-known Kathak dancer, Nahid Siddiqui, exploring her art and her struggle for pluralism and acceptance in Pakistan.
Dreamland - Gema Juárez Allen, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
Uncovering the dreams and frustrations of camp squatters in Rio de Janeiro State, as they wait (with the support of MST, the Landless Peoples Movement) for title to unused land.
Flowers by Tomás Creus, London International Film School
The film follows a Brazilian flower girl in the streets of Porto Alegre and paints a picture of her daily struggle for survival, and of the people she meets.
Safar by Sandhya Suri, National Film Television School
This film is a portrait of Sandhya’s own father, who left India 37 years ago to obtain experience and medical qualifications in England. He did, but lost his country and his roots forever.
Long Time No See by Johannes Sjöberg, Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
A personal testimony, as Johannes tracks down orphans he taught in Guatemala as a charitable agency worker some years ago, and faces up to some painful truths about the work of foreign volunteers.
Pianos for Uganda by Dominic Waugh, Bournemouth Media School
A striking film about budding musicians in Uganda, whose need for pianos is satisfied by an English charity, which locates and transports them.