WINDHOEK- What unites Russia, India and Namibia? The German language! The intercultural video exchange project “EinBlick” (“InSight”) with PASCH-students worldwide was a great success in Namibia.
“Insight” is a trilateral, intercontinental video exchange project that Glocal Films developed in collaboration with the Goethe Institute for PASCH-students worldwide, who learn German as foreign language. The Goethe-Centre Windhoek / NaDS are glad to be able to fund this project this year. Seeking to link the PASCH-schools supra-regionally, there was an exchange between the countries Russia, India and Namibia. Short films, which were developed and produced by the students, served as medium for the exchange. After the video-shooting in Russia and India had already been completed the project came to the Goethe-Centre Windhoek this March. Here Namibia was represented by 18 students from Martin Luther High School and Windhoek High School.
PASCH stands for the initiative “Schools: Partners for the Future” was launched in 2008 by the German Federal Foreign Office. Within the scope of this programme German language classes are promoted at excellent schools worldwide. The Goethe Institute supervises 500 PASCH-schools all over the world in the national education systems of more than 100 countries, supports them financially and assists them in introducing or developing German as school subject.
With German being the language of communication, the video exchange project “EinBlick” offered the participants the opportunity to have a direct, intercultural dialogue via the medium film and at the same time fostered the students’ interest and German language skills. At the beginning of the workshop, the Namibian students watched short clips, which revealed the Indian and Russian students’ knowledge about Namibia. It quickly became clear that the partner countries have little information about Namibia, so that the students decided to provide a differentiated and realistic picture of Namibia in their two films. While one group created a tour guide about Namibia, which showed the different cultures, the wildlife and the contrast between poor and rich, the second group developed a documentary, antiracist love story. From scripting, filming to cutting the students made their independent decisions and in this way produced their own short films.
As final highlight of the workshop in Namibia there was a film screening in the Goethe-Centre Windhoek on Monday, March 10. Next to the students and their parents, the Russian and German ambassadors were present. After a warm welcome by Corinna Burth, who organized the project at the Goethe-Centre, the German ambassador as well as Kerstin and Silke from Glocal Films, two films from the partner countries India and Russia were screened. The highlight of the event was clearly the premiere of the Namibian students’ two films. Seeing their self-produced films for the first time made all participants very proud. In addition, the audience was amazed by the students’ creativity and was very impressed by the works the students had done within just one week. Afterwards the German ambassador handed over a certificate and a DVD with the films to every participant and expressed his congratulations. While enjoying a buffet with Russian, Indian, Namibian and German food, it was discussed, celebrated and danced.
As a next step, after the completion of the project in Namibia, all three participating countries will exchange their films using the snowball principle. In this way the students get to know each other and have the possibility to exchange experiences, discuss and ask each other questions. Discovering everyday similarities and differences, the students enter into a direct dialogue, which will be reflected in a final film.
Furthermore, the Goethe-Centre Windhoek plans to provide the produced short films of the Indian, Russian and Namibian students in the teacher library, because the material is very useful for the German as foreign language lessons. In this way other students could benefit from the creative works of the “EinBlick” participants and a sustainable effect of the project would be guaranteed.