“Lights. Camera. Action…quiet on the set…”

Well you may have noticed something a little like a Hollywood film set at school lately. Well maybe not quite the big blockbuster budget movie set, but certainly some lights, a camera and a strangely large fluffy microphone! No, Steven Spielberg is not filming the next Star Wars episode at your school! Filmbites Youth Film School has been interviewing and filming students at Nollamara and Koondoola Primary Schools for a short film we are making as part of the Children in Harmony Project.

Community Vision and Children in Harmony are currently creating a short film that can be shown to community members, school families and newly arrived migrants. The film aims to show some of the support there is in the community for newly arrived families, by telling the stories of children who have experienced the transition to a new school in a new country.

Students from Koondoola Primary school have been sharing their experiences of being in the Azasu drumming group. The film crew have followed them to a number of recent performances including one at the Burswood and another at Woodvale Senior High School. All the children who have been interviewed have been warm, open and friendly, happily sharing their enthusiasm and excitement at being a part of the drumming group.

The Children at Nollamara Primary School have been sharing some of the stories from their culture in face to face interviews. These children spoke about some of the new things they experienced when they arrived in Australia and some of their memories from their home countries. All children spoke beautifully and honestly.

Stories of how parents experience a new school have also been shared. Two of the Ethnic Educational Assistants from Nollamara Primary School spoke, in Arabic and Dinka, explaining their role in supporting newly arrived migrant parents. Trying to interview people in different languages has been a learning experience for the film crew as well as those being interviewed.

Of course even the teachers did not escape the nervous experience of being in front of the camera. Ms Driberg from Koondoola and Ms Williams from Nollamara told their stories of how each school supports these children and families using projects in arts and culture. Their commitment to projects such as Children in Harmony, allows the children a creative place to express themselves and their culture.