UNESCO's Actions to implement the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions contribute to fostering the creative economy worldwide.

This is a web article series highlighting voices of UNESCO project beneficiaries.

Despite the rich cultural diversity characteristic of Madagascar, there was little if any film industry on the island before the mid-2000s. Indeed, since 2006, the main and almost sole film venue for artists to share their cinema productions and for an exchange was the Rencontres du Film Court à Madagascar (RFC, in English Madagascar Short Film Meetings).

Under the powerful leadership of Raymond Rajaonarivelo, Malagasy filmmakers started to tell stories about their homeland, its political ups and downs and the transformation of its society. Yet, the lack of policy support and adequate networks posed a mounting challenge.

Thanks to UNESCO's support through the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) in 2017, Madagascar can now boast a colorful cinema production in its own right. Under the project "Encourage the use of cinema as a means of expression among youth with a view to developing a film industry " not only did Malagasy film take off, but youth were offered a powerful professional destination as well.

Alexandra Livarisaina, 27, experienced this impact vividly. As a young cultural entrepreneur and producer, she actually felt pressed to join the project so as to contribute in her own personal way to advance Malagasy cinema. When asked about her motivations, she is clear-cut:

It was my passion for cinema and the vision of the project persuaded me. The program of knowledge-acquisition and follow-up gradually helped me to put on the producer's shoes.

She did not expect the extent to which this life-changing experience would leverage her career. Yet, thanks to IFCD's funding for this venture, she has enhanced her professional stature through training and learning from her peers in the cinema industry.

Likewise, the project involved a substantial number and diversity of young cinema talents, amounting to 2,000 participants that encompassed from cameramen to cultural entrepreneurs coming from different provinces of the country. This maximized their educational experience as it enabled participatory learning and knowledge out of this diversity. Indeed, participants learned from others' experiences, delving deeper on the good, the bad and the ugly of the cinema career, by for instance discussing better ways to enhance income and enlarge professional opportunities in a challenging regulatory environment. As a consequence, they were prepared better to tackle the difficulties arising from producing cinema in Madagascar's nascent yet rudimentary industry.

Friends were made, bonds were forged, and learning was enhanced. Well after the project's termination, Livarisaina joins her former colleagues in a very modern cinema center, Cinepax, open since 2018. There they have found a venue to foster their creativity and enjoy a nice moment at ease.

A young cameraman achieves his dreams

Herizo Randriamora is a 29 year-old cameraman who also benefited from the project. He fully agrees with Livarisaina's compelling remarks. Under the umbrella of the NGO T-Movie, recipient of IFCD's sponsorship, Herizo significantly improved his skills in the cinema industry. As he explains:

The training at T-Movie brought me a lot, in terms of skills across the entire film value chain and being able to work in teams as well.

The project also delivered reverberating effects beyond the cinema industry. Notably, it has sparked a flame of interest among Malagasy youth. Further, the growing engagement of the island's rising stars has also enabled the industry to gain momentum and evolve to new forms of cultural expression. Herizo is enthusiastic about this wave of change:

I see that Malagasy cinema is constantly evolving and there are many young people who become interested in cinema and I hope these young people are going to hold Malagasy cinema high.

The horizon from the Malagasy coast looks infinite, and so are the chances in the enlarged horizon of professional development for Malagasy youth. Following the project, many of the beneficiaries have gone on to win film competitions in Madagascar or to set up cultural businesses.

Had it not been for the project, Herizo would have never had the chance to learn about visual effects. Even more, his effort has already borne substantial fruit, as his video clip achieved the first prize in the competition on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the Malagasy Tourism Board. Now, he is poised to continue exploring this new arena that, he acknowledges, goes well beyond his current engagement as a cameraman.

For her part, Livarisaina is also ready for the next challenge. She wishes to lead a film production and produce content in a systematic way. Without UNESCO's valuable training, she would not be ready to seize her ambition.

Now, both Herizo and Livarisaina are poised to take Malagasy cinema to new uncharted heights. The sky is the only limit to this diversity of professional dreams and artistic drive.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.