FilmAid and Every Mother Counts at The Bulgari

Porter Magazine 2014

“It is fundamental to work together to save each and every woman.”

Statistics show that one woman dies every two minutes from complications during pregnancy and birth. This is why FilmAid was honored to join Christy Turlington Burns for Porter Magazine's event with Every Mother Counts at The Bulgari, to raise awareness of the vital need for the continued progress and preservation of maternal health. 

Driven by her own experience of pregnancy and giving birth, Christy founded Every Mother Counts with the aim of providing every mother with the same level of information and healthcare she had received when she needed it most. 

A touching speech was given on behalf of FilmAid by FilmAid’s UK Chair, Sian Sutherland, and FilmAid’s Country Director for Kenya, Stella Suge. 

Emphasizing the common ground shared by the two organizations, Sian discussed Every Mother Counts and FilmAid’s important contributions to safeguarding women’s health and dignity by the provision of information and the giving of hope, life skills, and voices.

Stella spoke of her first-hand experience working on a FilmAid maternal health program based in two of the largest refugee camps in the world, Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya. With over half a million people living as refugees in Kenya, and over half of these people being women, maternal health necessitates urgent action. Stella expressed that she had seen women die as a result of absence of knowledge and information, a situation that was complicated further by cultural issues relating to how women receive professional hospital treatment. In light of these experiences, FilmAid devised a program that included creating an informative film made by and for refugees. The film focussed on informing viewers of the critical need and benefits of maternal health, thus contributing to the ongoing welfare of mothers and thier children. 

Chivas Regal donate $100,000 to FilmAid at Cannes 2014

Global film elite including Naomi Watts, Harvey Weinstein, Gael Garcia Bernal gathered on Friday May 16 at the world famous Charles Finch Filmmakers Dinner in Cannes where FilmAid received a generous donation from our long-time supporter Chivas Regal. The highly anticipated annual dinner, filled with international superstars and with the stunning Riviera as a backdrop, was held during the Cannes Film Festival 2014 and confirmed the film industry’s dedication to using media to support marginalized and vulnerable communities. 

World-class actor and social activist Edward Norton (Fight Club, The Illusionist, Primal Fear) invited guests to toast the charitable efforts of the film industry and praised the work of FilmAid highlighting our work to help, “people who are voiceless, need to have their stories told or need what is going on around them documented. There’s an empowerment in giving people the tools to tell their own story.” Cannes Film Festival is known for showing its political conscience, and the Charles Finch dinner was no exception.

The evening brought together film stars, directors and producers to celebrate the opening of the film festival. Christopher Hampton and Alfonso Cuáron were presented with the Filmmaker Award for their massive and lasting contributions to the film industry.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Edward Norton leading the final toast and presenting a check of $100,000 to FilmAid’s Executive Director, Simon Goff on behalf of Chivas. Norton commented, “It is a great pleasure to be here tonight at the Charles Finch Filmmakers Dinner, sponsored by Chivas Regal 25. To be able to present FilmAid with such a generous donation on behalf of Chivas Regal is a great honor… Increasingly, we are seeing brands addressing social and environmental issues more than ever before. Charitable causes such as FilmAid need support in order to drive awareness and change consumer attitudes and behavior. With the help of partners like Chivas Regal around the world, FilmAid will be able to reach their next milestone”.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to our long-time supporter, Chivas Regal, for their on-going generosity, as well as to Charles Finch and Edward Norton for paying tribute to FilmAid.

FilmAid at Fifteen

Fifteen years ago, as I lay in bed, listening to morning radio, my heart ached from the tales of children languishing in refugee camps. I had been following the plight of the Kosovar refugees for months: each image and story intensifying my desire to do something, anything.  

The radio report detailed the emotional trauma, boredom, uncertainty, and the high toll that war extracts from innocent, displaced peoples – especially women and children. Key necessities, like food, medicine, and shelter were being delivered by aid agencies; but people were still left in a state of fear and hopelessness. As a professional filmmaker, I wondered if movies could provide some psychological relief, and with that thought, a door to the complex world of humanitarian aid cracked open, I stepped through and FilmAid was born.

The original idea was to hold outdoor screenings to feed the imagination and the soul while providing life-saving messages on the big screen. I assembled a crew of committed volunteers and a stash of films. Six weeks later, I was on my way to Macedonia, armed with what would become FilmAid’s first Mobile Cinema - a generator, projectors, and screens loaded into the back of a truck. FilmAid's experience in Macedonia and Kosovo successfully proved the power of the big screen: films restore hope and provide education and inspiration.

Over the years, FilmAid has brought the power of film to millions of refugees and displaced persons, in environments as diverse as Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, Nairobi slums, New Orleans, the Thailand-Myanmar border, Afghanistan, Haiti and most recently Jordan.  Our programs now include participatory filmmaking, skills training, facilitated video workshops, mass awareness campaigns, and mentoring to help refugees achieve their dreams.

Despite FilmAid’s successes, sadly, we all still wake up to stories of people fleeing their homes. They are driven from safety and comfort by human cruelty or natural disasters. Civil wars, conflict and genocide leave millions homeless around the world. Three years into Syria’s civil war over 9 million people have been forced to flee their homes. The ongoing turmoil in South Sudan continues to displace people into neighboring countries. The global refugee situation is becoming more urgent than ever before. We need your help to continue and expand our work.

Fifteen years ago, a radio report caused me to get up and start this journey. Please support us by donating now. Your generosity will help us educate, empower and inspire refugees displaced by conflict and natural disaster from South Sudan to Syria and Thailand to Colombia. Let me paraphrase philosopher Bertrand Russell when he described his three simple passions: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and the compassion for the suffering of mankind. These continue to drive me and so many others to do what we can to ease the pain of others. FilmAid embodies this universal human spirit and is deeply committed to projecting hope and giving voice to those whose voices are rarely heard.

Thank you for your continued support. We couldn’t do this work without you!

Caroline Baron,
Founder, FilmAid International