The Chikukwa Project

Leahy, GA

The Chikukwa Project

Leahy, GA

Permalink

Publisher:: Approaching SBS & Ronin Films - Self distributed at present
Citation:: as above, 2013
Issue Date:: 2013-01

Closed Access

Filename	Description	Size
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-1.mp4	Published version	27.54 MB	MP4	View/Open
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-2.mp4	Published version	26.04 MB	MP4	View/Open
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-3.mp4	Published version	27.82 MB	MP4	View/Open
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-4.mp4	Published version	27.27 MB	MP4	View/Open
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-5.mp4	Published version	28.83 MB	MP4	View/Open
The Chikukwa Project.compressed Part-6.mp4	Published version	25.3 MB	MP4	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Leahy, GA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8653-4350	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	as above, 2013	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122237
dc.description.abstract	Most attempts to set up sustainable farming projects in Southern Africa fail. Why then, has CELUCT (Chikukwa Land Use Management Trust), operating for over 20 years in Eastern Zimbabwe, been so successful in creating a community with more than enough food for its needs? Gillian Leahy (UTS) and Terry Leahy (UoN) are co-producers of this 52- minute documentary. Terry Leahy is a sociologist conducting research on food security projects in Africa. Gillian Leahy is the films director. The two filmmakers chose expository and interactive (interview) modes with observational footage, to ensure the widest possible dissemination of these research findings and to visually document the project, providing an evidence base and historical record. The film shows the most successful sustainable development project in Southern Africa, running for over 20 years using permaculture methods. The situation of the 7,000 Chikukwa villagers in the early nineties was difficult in the extreme, with seriously degraded land making it hard to get a good crop. Malnutrition was extreme. The film outlines the history of the project and posits arguments as to why currently it is so successful. Starting with a small self-help group, the project expanded to transform the landscape, agriculture and social context. In doing this it became much more than just an agricultural project, taking in participatory democratic community organisation, womens social groups, HIV/AIDS, pre-school education, traditional cultural revival and conflict mediation. Information on this project will be very useful to development projects around the world. The film is screening as part of UTS Speaks series in November 2013. It is already in demand by groups wishing to screen it. It will screen at the International Permaculture Conference, Cuba, 2013. The film has already raised funding to send two other African groups to train at CELUCT.	en_US
dc.format	Documentary Film	en_US
dc.language	Shona	en_US
dc.publisher	Approaching SBS & Ronin Films - Self distributed at present	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	as above	en_US
dc.title	The Chikukwa Project	en_US
utslib.location	Zimbabwe	en_US
utslib.location.activity	Melbourne, Sydney	en_US
utslib.for	1902 Film, Television and Digital Media	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/School of Communication
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	Zimbabwe	en_US
pubs.rights-statement	The Chikukwa Project is a 53 documentary about a permaculture project in Zimbabwe. Research Background This research is in the field of the Documentary Studies. Nichols argues the “interactive mode” (interview based) in documentaries is convincing to audiences because the interviewees themselves stand as verification of the positions presented. Sandall claims that the greater fidelity to reality that observational filmmaking offers allows audiences to believe that what they are seeing is the truth. MacDougall argues that observational filmmaking is a less manipulative and more respectful way of working with communities. The research question explored by this film is: how must observational and interactive documentary be structured in order to best reach an audience with information about an important social project? Research contribution The project demonstrates that while observational and interactive aesthetics are useful and important, it is also necessary, in order to create a text that will appeal to audience, to impose a story and structure on the material. In this film narrative was created in a number of ways including the imposition of tension by showing the start of a conflict resolution workshop, and holding back the resolution of this drama until the end of the film. Research significance This film has been chosen for screening at four festivals and academic conferences including the Planet in Focus Film Festival in Toronto and the Sightlines conference/film festival 2014.	en_US

Abstract:

Most attempts to set up sustainable farming projects in Southern Africa fail. Why then, has CELUCT (Chikukwa Land Use Management Trust), operating for over 20 years in Eastern Zimbabwe, been so successful in creating a community with more than enough food for its needs? Gillian Leahy (UTS) and Terry Leahy (UoN) are co-producers of this 52- minute documentary. Terry Leahy is a sociologist conducting research on food security projects in Africa. Gillian Leahy is the films director. The two filmmakers chose expository and interactive (interview) modes with observational footage, to ensure the widest possible dissemination of these research findings and to visually document the project, providing an evidence base and historical record. The film shows the most successful sustainable development project in Southern Africa, running for over 20 years using permaculture methods. The situation of the 7,000 Chikukwa villagers in the early nineties was difficult in the extreme, with seriously degraded land making it hard to get a good crop. Malnutrition was extreme. The film outlines the history of the project and posits arguments as to why currently it is so successful. Starting with a small self-help group, the project expanded to transform the landscape, agriculture and social context. In doing this it became much more than just an agricultural project, taking in participatory democratic community organisation, womens social groups, HIV/AIDS, pre-school education, traditional cultural revival and conflict mediation. Information on this project will be very useful to development projects around the world. The film is screening as part of UTS Speaks series in November 2013. It is already in demand by groups wishing to screen it. It will screen at the International Permaculture Conference, Cuba, 2013. The film has already raised funding to send two other African groups to train at CELUCT.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122237