Ramadan Suleman, the SASFED Co-Chair has JUST presented the following speech on behalf of the independent film industry at the National Film Strategy Development Workshop, currently underway near OR Thambo in Joahnensburg.
SASFED Presentation
National Film
Strategy Workshop 6-7 March 2013
The South African Screen
Federation (SASFED) represents a broad cross section of the independent film
and television industry in South Africa, a total of more than 2200 individual
members via affiliates and 171 member companies employing between 1 and 80
people each.
Both Government and the
National Film and Video Foundation recognise SASFED as the biggest and most
diverse national representative of the independent industry. SASFED therefore
represents the core of the creative film and television industry in South
Africa.
The United Nations agency
UNCTAD said that “the creative industries are among the most dynamic emerging
sectors in world trade.[i]
This was echoed by the Department of Arts and
Culture’s April 2011 presentation of the Mzansi Golden Economy, which stated
that “ . . . arts and culture and heritage play a pivotal role in the economic
empowerment and skills development of a people.”[ii]
SASFED endorse this view
entirely. We have always known the ability of what we do as filmmakers to
resonate widely. Our cultural heritage consists of the brave artists, actors,
writers, dancers and filmmakers who have the courage to put their visions into
the public domain.
DAC exists to support these
cultural workers and creators, and to preserve our heritage. DAC and its
subsidiaries are tasked with providing an “enabling environment” for the
creators, encouraging innovation and creativity that would allow our sector to
perform better”.[iii]
DAC reflected upon
stakeholder relations within the department thus: “Government tends to be
prescriptive, regulatory and controlling, resulting in the alienation of
practitioners in this sector.”[iv]
SASFED is here today because
we believe DAC’s analysis is correct, and we wish to work together with all
parties to move forward positively to create a National Film Strategy aligning
all parties and policies to take South Africa forward globally. No-one will be
able to fix anything unless we acknowledge the challenges faced by the creative
industries and collaborate to create momentum for change.
Minister Matshitile promised
“a new era for arts and culture”[v]
and said: “we have to fundamentally change the way we
do things.”[vi]
SASFED and the NFVF are here today to initiate that
new era, and to begin that process of fundamental change. We hope all of you
will join us today and tomorrow on this journey to explore the potential of our
sector, and of our diverse and wonderful country.
Change always brings with it
the shadow of uncertainty, a cold clinging to old practices, and a deep fear of
the unknown and the new. Yet, as tough South Africans, if we embrace change as
envisaged in the National Development Plan[vii]
, we can advance towards a brighter, more inclusive
and more cohesive future. We have to focus on leading each other towards a new
destiny. But we cannot do that if we are not all on the same page.
Already SASFED has aligned
itself with the NDP, facing the nine challenges, accepting the six inter-linked
priorities, and endorsing its objectives and actions, although we note with
deep concern that within Trevor Manuel’s 25-member NPC squad there is only one
philosopher and a couple of sociologists. There is no one from the other
humanities, and, incredibly, there is no one from the arts.
One of the reasons the United
States culture is so prevalent worldwide is precisely because they export their
films all over the world and have used films to create a dominant culture in
foreign countries, like South Africa.[viii]
SASFED would like to change
this, and as part of this workshop, we would like to set the wheels in motion
to replace American pop culture with authentic African stories, told by
Africans themselves. This is a tired old mantra often recounted but as with all
rhetoric, it comes from a place of truth SASFED is determined to make it a
reality.
For SASFED, no discussion
about a National Film Strategy can begin until all parties agree that the
creative people who make films are placed at the centre of the consultative,
planning and decision-making process, and are intimately involved in the action
plans that will achieve results in line with the NDP.
The ANC endorsed this placing
of what they called “the Artist”, in a position that was protected and
developed, and urged that “special emphasis be placed on promoting the arts in
indigenous and historically marginalised communities to ensure the building of
patriotism and national consciousness”.[ix]
SASFED could not agree more.
But for SASFED the discussion
from which a National Film Strategy will flow is not one that begins with
discussing government policy launched nearly two years ago, and then looking at
the challenges of job creation, infrastructure development, rural development,
social cohesion and transformation and skills development. The agenda as
currently constituted leaves less than five hours to devise a National Film
Strategy. This is too little time to formulate a policy that incorporates all
of the individual stakeholders in the Film Value Chain.
We cannot discuss a National
Film Strategy until we know where we want to go, and until we discuss ways of
finding the financial instruments to achieve it. Every single organisation here
understands the current financial constraints we all face, none more than SASFED
which receives zero funding from any state body and which achieves considerable
momentum through the passion and hard work of our creative members.
If we do not re-organise
ourselves, our funding, infrastructures and work practices as an industry, and
labour together to create synergies that have the best interest of the country
at heart, then the creative industry of South Africa will not mirror our
continental position as a leader of commerce and industry.
SASFED therefore proposes
that we dig deep and take an honest look at the state of our film industry. We
need the delegates here to walk away from this meeting with an accurate and
realistic situational analysis of where, the SA film industry currently is, and
where we would like to be in 2030. SASFED is suggesting that we stop a
localised and isolated approach and connect our different stakeholders to a
unified and most importantly achievable vision on our industry’s horizon as suggested
in the MGE presentation during the DAC Strategic Plan for 2012-2013, the ANC’s
Mangaung resolutions and SASFED’s own Business Implementation Framework and
associated documents.
If we know where we want to
go, we can devise plans and discuss options. Is the future of our industry
seasonal work, which creates jobs for limited periods of time or do we want to
empower our artists, producers, filmmakers, writers and creatives to learn how
to create jobs and pay the success forward? Pay It Forward. A concept which
originates and is rooted in the practice of Ubuntu. Each one, teach one.
We need to reach out to our
African brothers and sisters, creating co-productions and exchanges with them
that will stimulate Africa’s creative output. Sadly all our Co-Production
Treaties are with European countries. We must be trading in Africa, filming in
Africa, teaching and collaborating with Africa. Then we will see African
stories on our own screens.
We need to see African films
being shown in our schools. The ANC has called for arts facilitators in
schools.[x]
Why are South African and other African films not
being shown in schools to educate and develop a young audience that will grow
up and watch films in cinemas? Audience development and distribution are the
two major keys to developing our industry, and yet we do not spend enough time
as stakeholders to nurture them. We can make the films, but they must start
from here, from home, and with our people watching and engaging with our
indigenous stories.
DAC’s Strategic Plan states
that “individuals are the engine room of the arts and cultural sector”,[xi]
and there needs to be “a system of whole-of-career
cycle support”[xii]
, as well as calls for support of “existing leaders
and developing new leaders”. DAC extols the virtues of “cultural diplomacy” and
expanding SA’s network through strategic relations . . . with special emphasis
on building South-South relations and the African agenda in the arts, culture
and heritage arena.”[xiii]
Where do we see this pattern emerging? We don’t.
DAC has great analysis, and
their vision is great.[xiv]
But SASFED has seen challenges in the outcome of
their plans. This is part of what
we have to address over the coming two days. We need to work together to
harness the power we have when we are one. DAC has stated the challenges in
communication that exists amongst the scattered creative institutional branches
of government. There is a lack of policy coherence between the different parts.
We need to find solutions so that we can all move forward. We need to leave
here as one; one vision, one goal and one connection which finally ties all of
us to our Golden Creative Economy. From the NFVF to the DTI, the Film offices
and commissions in our different provinces, the SABC and other broadcasters and
represented by the independent creative industry SASFED and our member
organisations. Each hand needs the other and without your help and
understanding, the creative industry in South Africa will never rise to be a
proud beacon on our nation’s global reputation.
At the heart of this strategy,
we need to place the creatives, the people in our industry who labour to
create, entertain and inspire the nation. “The Artist”. The Artist needs to be
protected, nurtured and supported as we explore the diversity of our cultural
history. Our archives, too are in a dire state of affairs, with many of the
visual archives of our painful apartheid past rotting in vaults because there
is no budget to transfer them into the digital domain, where they could be
utilised to create jobs and tell our history to our children. This is painful
indeed.
We are an industry in deep,
deep trouble. SASFED watches as producers go to the wall, companies are closed
down, writers are penniless, and actors leave South Africa for greener
pastures. We have seen rental companies merging, and endless funding and commissioning
delays. The industry financing structures have been mostly destroyed or cut
back so severely that people are leaving the industry in droves. We witness
this on a daily basis, people losing their houses, their businesses built up
over many years, and bank foreclosures. It is unsustainable. People who have built their careers and
livelihoods on the promise of a creative economy are being dispossessed and
destroyed.
Yet here we stand. SASFED has
writers, actors and producers in its ranks. You may ask why there still is
creative industry with all the challenges we face on a daily basis? The answer
is simple, it is because Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. Our works of
art reveal the inner vision, which guides us as a nation. And where there is no
vision, the people perish. We as stakeholders must acknowledge that Art is
fundamental, unique to each of us…Even in difficult economic times – especially
in difficult economic times - the arts are essential.
A National Film Strategy will
revive the industry’s hope. Our dreams of a vibrant South African film industry
could come true. With a centralised, bigger fund, co-ordinated action by all of
the players, we can inspire a revival of our industry similar to that of
Brazil.
In Brazil, a couple of
changes to Trade and Industry regulation have created a veritable explosion of
productions that are now reaching global screens and attracting interest
worldwide.
SASFED, as the national
federation that brings everyone together, our dream is to create a similar
centralised film fund to stimulate production, and a national strategy that is
inclusive and centred on the content creators.
Our responsibility over the
next two days is to put our industry above all else; to lay a foundation for
the next generation and to provide a future treasure for our children. Let us
not fail them. Thanks.
Notes:
[i] Unctad Creative Economy Report 2010, quoted in DAC’s Mzansi
Golden Economy presentation in Newtown on 14-15 April 2011.
[ii] Mzansi Golden Economy
presentation page 7.
[iii] MGE presentation page 14
[vii] See Annexure 1 – 12-page
Summary of the NDP by David Forbes in January 2013.
[viii] In 2001 South Africa was the
world’s 13th largest importer of US films.
[ix] ANC Resolutions at Mangaung,
2.7.5.3.2 and 2.7.5.3.4
[x] ANC’s Mangaung Resolution
2.7.5.2.2
[xi] DAC’s Strategic Plan for
2012-2013
[xiv] Ibid page 29, Stimulating
Market Access, and Influencing the Cultural Agenda continentally and
internationally.
