“The World We Want” – a powerful, inspiring documentary of teen activists hope, joy and dreams come true - a warm film premiere reception at The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles tonight

"The World We Want" premiered at AFI Festival, where it shared the Audience Award for best documentary feature

by George S. Mc Quade III

Los Angeles – A small crowd of mostly film producers, directors and Hollywood’s industry executives packed into the Skirball Cultural Center tonight ( Monday, Jan. 25, 2010) for the reception and screen of The World We Want.  The event was put on by the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles with international filmmakers form 17 different countries, who are taking part in the U.S. State Department Program appropriately called “Project Citizen.”

The World We Want - documents inspiring stories of teenager throughout the world engaged and determined in changing their communities and nations for the better. The Director and Producer Patrick Davison said it was privately funded and filmed on locations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Russia, Senegal and the United States.

The music throughout the well-edited, fast-moving film captures the young citizens’ remarkable struggles in their own words and through their captivating personal experiences. Davidson said not narrative was needed, because the students spoke from their heart. Now, there’s talk of starting a foundation based on the film.

Project Citizen is a curriculum for middle, high and post-secondary school students and youth groups that promotes participating in local, state and federal government. It is designed to help students learn how to monitor and influence public policy. This would be one of the most interesting government class films ever shown in America. Many of us only read about old history in high school, tonight everyone got to travel and experience world history in this film.

Film Director/Producer Patrick Davidson said his audience was mainly teenagers all around the world.

Tonight’s event brought film producers and directors from all over the world (17 countries).  Producer Nayla Al Khaj, D- S E V E N Motion Pictures said, “it’s critical for students worldwide to learn the different cultures and diversity.”

The World We Want follows students tackling critical issues around the world including banning teenage gambling in Russia, fighting taxation of silversmiths in Indonesia, creating a community constitution in Colombia, securing clean drinking water in Senegal and more. The film documents the young citizens’ struggle to convince local and national leaders to enact vital legislation, and takes viewers into the homes, schools and neighborhoods of the young people to interact with their friends and family members.

 Director of the Center for Civic Education’s Civitas International Programs, Richard A. Nuccio joined Davidson on stage for a Q&A session after the screening.

After reviewing hundreds of programs throughout the world, the film producers selected eight finalist countries to feature in The “World We Want.”

Film Locations:

-  Brcko, Bosnia-Herzegovina

-  Alejandría, Colombia

-  Delhi, India

-  Yogyakarta, Indonesia

-  Al Karak, Jordan

-  Samara, Russia

-  Ross Bethio, Senegal

-  Vancouver, Washington, USA

The students are the stars of the film. These captivating young people, ages 11 – 16, tell their stories with captivating enthusiasm and passion allowing audiences to share their struggles and dreams for the future. In sharing these inspiring stories The World We Want shows that in many ways, young people are the same all over the world: enthusiastic, passionate, articulate, engaging, and determined to create a better world.

The centerpiece of the film is the first Project Citizen International Showcase, held in Washington DC where delegations of students from more than 30 countries gathered to compete for the coveted prize The Program of the Year.

We The People: Project Citizen

The inspiration for the film is We The People: Project Citizen – an international civics program created and administered by the Center for Civic Education (www.civiced.org) and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, by act of Congress since 1995.

The Center’s Project Citizen civic education program is implemented throughout the U.S. and in more than sixty-five other countries, reaching more than 1.5 million students each year. This event is sponsored by the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) and the Skirball Cultural Center.

More than 10 million young people have participated in Project Citizen worldwide. The Project Citizen program is currently in operation throughout the United States and in more than 65 foreign countries throughout the world. I agree with Hollywood Reporter which said, the film is “ideal for fests and school audiences." Amen to that.

I am buying the DVD when it comes out to share with my two teenage boys. This is a must see movie for the family, too. “The World We Want” is probably the most positive film we’ll see this year!

Out of more than 100 that turned up at the film festivals this is the diamond in the ruff. It could pave the way movie making will be done in the digital high definition (HD) future in editing, special effects and pure drama, the stuff Hollywood is made of.

 

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