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LECTURING POSITION  - January 2017

2/3/2017

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The 1st term of my new job as a lecturer at the University of Westminster is over.
I was teaching a very interesting module: Reporting Diversity: Gender, Sexuality, Age, Disability on the MA in Diversity and the Media course.
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It was a challenging experience, teaching a very diverse group of 25 students, many of them coming from China and South East Asia.

The students produced 5 documentary films addressing LGBTI, age and disability.   
I learnt a lot from my students and realised how I take diversity for granted and have always addressed it in my work as a filmmaker. ​
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BIRDS CROSSING BORDERS

20/12/2016

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2016 ended with the short film I made for deep:black, Birds Crossing Borders, a film that celebrates solidarity and dialogue with refugees in The Jungle, Calais, before the camps were torn down.
In September 2016, the work from Birds Crossing Borders was exhibited at Rich Mix.
"Birds Crossing Borders is a deep:black project developed in response to the current public discourse about refugees, the rhetoric of fear and the narratives of chaos and crisis. With Birds Crossing Borders we want to open up dialogue; a dialogue that is rooted in compassion and trust.”  ​​
Birds Crossing Borders
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MEDIA DIVERSITY IN MOROCCO - August 2016

15/8/2016

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My collaboration with The Media Diversity Institute (MDI) continues to flourish with this short film commissioned by MDI, about the impact their training has had on media professionals and journalists in Morocco.  The film is set in  Rabat, the capital of Morocco.   You will find out how the MDI has affected them in a positive and memorable way, and how important it is for them to report inclusively and accurately on the diversity of moroccan society. 
Despite having filmed in August, I was surprised to find Rabat disappearing in the fog!
MDI in Morocco
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STORIES FROM THE HEART - Part 2 from Samara

6/3/2016

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Stories from the heart brought me back to Russia, this time in Samara, South of Moscow, where the snow was beginning to thaw. I worked with a diverse group of filmmakers, eager to explore stories from the heart and about the heart. The workshop shook them out of their comfort zone and provided them with new food for thought. We are in post-production, 7 films will be completed very soon and available
for viewing.
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Participants feed-back:

“Unusual, but very powerful and interesting format of the training. It was a pleasure to work with Rani and learn something new about interviewing. "

"The ease of communication on professional topics, the interesting presentation of theoretical material, unleashing creativity exercises and opportunity to learn something new about myself, the opportunity to meet interesting people from my city and from abroad.”

“The examples of documentary films shown by the trainer were very useful and inspiring, loved the exercises performed during the training.”
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SAHARAWI VOICES & SANDBLAST

10/2/2016

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Well I never imagined that I would start the year in the Western Sahara. This was so unexpected and at the same time it was a dream that I have always had: to simply be in the desert. 

The story began when I met Danielle Smith, the director of Sandblast, a Human Rights charity promoting the voices and visions of the Saharawi people through the Arts www.sandblast-arts.org. Embedded in a protracted conflict since 1975, half of the Saharawi population are refugees living in harsh desert camps in SW Algeria, while the other half live in their own land, occupied by Morocco for the last 40 years. The Western Sahara is Africa’s last colony.

I discovered through Danielle that there is a huge diabetes crisis in the camps. This led us to develop a video project, to support Saharawi filmmakers produce short films about diabetes.
In February, I went to visit the camps to find out if the Ministry of Health and the Film school Abidin Kaid Saleh based in one of the camps would be receptive to our project and collaborate with us.
At the same time, there is an international marathon that takes place in the desert every year to raise funds and awareness for the Saharawi refugees. I had no time to train for it, so instead I walked 21 km and was able to absorb the special magic of the desert and the unique state of mind it provokes.
The response from the Health Ministry and the Film School was extremely positive. And more than that, we also received invaluable support from Jorge Ferrer, a professor specialized in diabetes, working for Imperial College, and from a fundraising consultant, Annette Gibbons-Warren, who both participated
in the marathon. It was a stroke of serendipity that we all met there at the same time and connected so easily.

Living in one of the camps with a small group of women who were running the marathon, was such an inspiring experience, despite all the difficulties of living in challenging conditions, we were warmly welcomed and well looked after by our lovely, vivacious Saharawi hostess Fatima. 
​We are now fundraising for this project, to make it happen in 2017.
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Birds crossing borders

14/9/2015

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In 2014-15, it was my pleasure to work for the first time with deep:black
www.deepblack.org.uk/content/what-we-do on a video project commissioned by the NHS in Harringey, Taking the lead, which gave a
voice to young people who had negative experiences at the hands of the mental health services. This was their chance to express through

drama & photography what they felt and how the services could improve.

Further to our collaboration, I was asked to contribute to Birds Crossing Borders, a deep:black project developed in response to the current public discourse about refugees, the rhetoric of fear and the narratives of chaos and crisis. “With Birds Crossing Borders we want to open up dialogue; a dialogue that is rooted in compassion and trust.” birdscrossingborders.wordpress.com
6 artists were commissioned to design a postcard of a bird and respond humanely and creatively to a disturbing humanitarian crisis. Messages of hope & solidarity were collected from the UK and brought to the refugees in the Jungle, Calais. Deep:black collaborated with Good Chance Theatre on Birds fly to Calais and in 2016 with the Museum of Migration on Call me by my name: stories from Calais & beyond. migrationmuseum.org 

I created a bird for the post card series and will be making a short film in 2016 that will capture what the whole project is about..
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FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE                     Stories from the heart-Part 1 from Arkhangelsk

13/5/2015

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In May 2015, I went to Russia for the first time, to give a 5 day training workshop to 14 Russian filmmakers in Arkhangelsk, North of Russia, close to the White sea.

I was producing 7 short films, part of an international project Stories from the Heart for the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Disease, about cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Russia, which has the highest mortality rate of CVD in the world.

The project allowed me to develop a new training format, in which I could merge all of my filmmaking experience as well as elements from the Shake Your Gift workshop. This has been very exciting and innovative work for me and I am continuing to explore and improve this new approach to filmmaking
training.

It was fascinating to be in this remote part of the world, giving me the opportunity to completely immerse myself in Russian culture, literature and history. I worked with a lovely team in the UK led by epidemiologist Prof David Leon and was helped by a wonderful team from the Northern State Medical University of Arkhangelsk.

The workshop was intense, stimulating and greatly appreciated despite the language barrier. The translators and the production coordinator did a great job, without them it would have been impossible to do this work. The door to Russia has now been opened!
Some of the films available for viewing:
  1. ​PULSE   
  2. Drawing Life
  3. Out of Range
  4. Second Chance
Feed-back from participants:

“I liked the methods of teaching, since training was in informal creating environment. Freedom of thought, creativity, self-expression not an academic approach to training.”

“I liked teacher’s view on filmmaking and her sense of life, Her sincerity and positive attitude made me feel comfortable and easy.”

“I liked practical tasks and their fulfilling; 
The discussions on the topic of health, life and death were interesting because these topics are often taken for granted and there is no time to think over them.”
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SHAKE YOUR GIFT - 2 day workshop

20/10/2014

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For over a year, I have been developing with my colleague and friend Keren Ghitis a unique coaching model, SHAKE YOUR GIFT aimed at creative professionals.

The idea behind it was for pairs to partner up and learn tools and knowledge
to become each other’s long- term creative coach.

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​It culminated in a 2 Day workshop that we gave on the 18th & 19th of October at The Tent, King’s Cross, and was greatly appreciated by all the wonderful people who attended it.

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Campaign Against Climate Change

16/5/2014

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Rani is currently filming a documentary film for Campaign for Climate Change, working alongside the very passionate and lovely Fiona Brookes, who is the National Co-ordinator for CCC,

Our first destination: Slaithwaite Moor, near Huddersfield, with Stephen Slator, Chair of board and director of Valley Wind Cooperative, which plans to install 3 wind turbines, expected to produce 18 million kWh of clean, green electricity a year, to power 4700 homes.
It was the first time I was going inside a wind turbine, but once you are inside it's just empty space, like being inside an empty toilet roll!
The day started with mist and rain but luckily it ended with sunshine and a beautiful sky.

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CHEW & VIEW – Spring Equinox – South Kilburn Studios

21/3/2014

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Due to demand, Chew & View is back to mark the Spring Equinox with a new exciting menu of food and films.  Alexandra from Growing Kultur cooked a delicious 3 course meal full of fresh Spring flavours. 

South Kilburn Studios


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SHORT FILMS – 7.15pm 
 
The Meaning of Spring Equinox (2012) 7 mins, collage of stills and animation created 
by Dancing Deer Farm. 
Dirt the Movie (2014) 2 mins – trailer of feature documentary directed by Bill Benenson & Gene Rosow. 
Holi Festival (2013) 3 mins 48 secs – A foreigner’s perspective of the Holi festival in Vrindavan, an important Hindu pilgrimage site, where the God Krishna spent his childhood. Directed by Grzegorz Gill 
Seeding deep Democracy (2008) 6 mins – Interview with Vandana Shiva, physicist, 
environmental activist, author of many books and part. 
Seed the untold story (2014) 3 mins – trailer for feature documentary directed by 
Taggart Siegel & Jon Betz 
Iranian New Year Program BBC Persian Part 1 (2011) 3 mins 44 secs – Musical 
ensemble featuring the Ney Anban, a type of bagpipe played in Southern Iran. 
Equinoxes (2012) 2 mins 38 secs - National Geographic 
Vandana Shiva on seeds of Humanity (2013) 3 mins 36 secs – Bill Moyers & co show. 
Mother Polar Bear & Cubs (2008) 3 mins - BBC Planet Earth Richard Attenborough 
Persian New Year Song, Norooz Song 1393 (2011) 4 mins – Music by Hamid Bakhtiari. Directed by Lars Bangsholt, 
 
 
FOOD INTERVAL – 8pm 
3 course meal cooked by Alex from Growing Kultur 
 
 
FEATURE FILM – 9pm 
The Gleaners & I ( 2000) 2hrs French Doc – Directed by Agnes Varda 
MENU
 
TO START
Grilled Lebanese Chicken Wings
OR

Mushrooms 
With:

Hemp & Quinoa Jewelled Tabbouleh salad
Fool Moudamas Crushed broadbeans with lemon juice & roasted garlic
Fattoush, a salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, mint, radish, parsley and Middle Eastern spices 

All served with warmed flatbreads and herb oils
 
TO FOLLOW
Herby Lamb Kofta Grilled minced lamb seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, coriander and parsley 
OR 
Spicy Coconut Dahl Lentils cooked in a coconut milk and eastern herbs and spices 
 
TO FINISH
Chargrilled Pineapple with Chilli Lime Drizzle & Coriander 
Herb Infused Orange Slices with Mini Gourmet Brownie 
 
Nibbles (optional) 
Herby Lavosh Thin, crunchy middle Eastern bread 
Lebanese Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli with a Tahini Dip 
Stuffed Dried Apricots 
 
Cold Drinks 
Nettle & Dandelion Tonic 
Lavender and Lemon Verbena Cordial 
 
A Selection of Fresh & Dried Herbal Infusions 

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