“Inter-Rives II: Glances of children”: the new COPEAM – ASBU co-production project

The co-productions represent one of the most important sector which COPEAM has always given a crucial relevance to and which has been developed thanks to different partnerships and synergies set up during these years.

In fact, it represents a strategic sector for our Association allowing, on a long-term period, the creation of a Euro-Arab audiovisual imaginary, that is diversified butbased on a shared cooperation and intercultural spirit.

This first Euro-Arab large-scope co-production, Inter-Rives, achieved 32 documentary episodes (ready to be broadcast) each one 13 minutes long, about “contemporary art”, “women” and “emigrant”. It has been presented in different occasions, among which the Bakaforum 2008 (Karlsruhe, Germany) and TV Eurovision 2008 (Lucerne, Switzerland), and it has been broadcast by several television partners starting from 2008 June: RAI (Italy), RTVE (Spain), ERTU (Egypt), ERTsa (Greece), EPTV (Algeria), etc.

Following this important co-production experience and after having improved all the aspects of the basket formula, workshops and production time, COPEAM and ASBU propose a new series of 13’ documentaries which opens a window on the Arab and European newsreel by the unusual, joking and sensible glances of children: “Inter-Rives II: Glances of children”

One of the innovative features of “Inter-Rives II” will be the workshop module: it will be not only a simple space where to exchange ideas on the documentaries already produced, but it has been conceived like a real training on this project based on the writing of the scripts in collaboration with eminent experts and all the directors during a work-week in Tunis (in May 2009).

In this second Euro-Arab magazine involving 10 countries of the two Mediterranean shores, the Mashreq and the Gulf area, each television partner will produce 2 documentaries of 13’ each one (2x13’) obtaining 18 documentaries from the others.

The project timing is foreseen for 6 months from the end of the training/production week always according to the COPEAM and ASBU cooperation philosophy.

Please click here to download the Call for proposals

Read the press review

HIGHLIGHT

“Inter-Rives II: Glances of Children”: a new series achieved and ready to be broadcast

The 2nd coproduction “Inter-Rives II: Glances of Children” ended successfully.
The partnership agreements establishing co-producers’ rights and obligations in the framework of this series were signed by all the partners. A new phase in the field of COPEAM-ASBU co-productions has been therefore achieved, envisaging the broadcasters’ essential and clear commitment to broadcast at least 1/3 of the documentaries.

In fact, the quality of the products and their broadcast were the main goals of this second edition of the series, distributed to the participating televisions by ASBU and COPEAM.
17 documentaries were co-produced: “Taste of Festa” and “One Home Two Hearts” (PBS- Malta), “Our World” (San Marino RTV), “Siwa, source of water and tradition” (ERTU-Egypt), “Art Changes the Way We See” and “Children and War” (TVE), “Whispers of the Moon” and “The Aramaic Language in Their Eyes” (ORTAS), “Our Lebanon is not Yours” and “Theater for Life” (Al Manar), “Even the Sound has an Image” (SNRT), “Children of Timimoun…Between Myth and Reality” and “Karkouz is dreamland, Karkouz fi Bilad el Ahlam” (EPTV), “Autism” and “News Room” (JCCTV), “Sara, 12 years old and the earthquake of Aquila” and “Gail’s School” (RAI Educational).

They will all be uploaded on COPEAM Web TV (www.copeam.tv).

On the occasion of the next meeting of COPEAM TV Commission, the third series will be launched and its theme will be soon determined.

«Inter-Rives II: Glances of children», a first and very promising workshop…
Tunis, July 21st – 24th, 2009

The first workshop organized in the framework of the 2nd COPEAM-ASBU co-production «Inter-Rives II: Glances of children» ended on July 24th 2009, in Tunis.

The coordination team and the representatives of the partner televisions worked very actively during 4 days on the preparation of a production and shooting charter for the series of intense and dynamic teamwork.
The subjects proposed for the documentaries were discussed by the team and a final list was drawn up. At the end of the workshop, a production schedule was established and the directors wrote the synopsis of their documentaries. Another workshop is scheduled before the conclusion of the co-production.

The interview of Mr. Sampiero Sanguinetti - executive producer of the series - provides more information on the workshop and on the development of the co-production.

How do you evaluate the Tunis workshop?

To evaluate a work, you always have to keep in mind the objectives that had been set.
The first aim of Inter-Rives' workshops isto make easier the implementation of the documentaries production planned in the framework of the series. The second aim is to try to make the documentaries look like a series and not only like a collection. The third aim is to encourage a real collaboration and a real exchange of competences between the participants that come from very different countries and televisions.
The Tunis workshop allowed to define together a precise production framework for the Inter-Rives II series and to agree on the objectives that we want to achieve. The teamwork has led to a real exchange between the participants, to extremely rich debates, to a better mutual knowledge and - according to me – also to the creation of a team that wants to continue the experience and to deepen this work of mutual understanding.

What is the importance of the shooting, production and technical recommendations charter, which is a result of this workshop, for the success of Inter-Rives II?

The recommendations that have been outlined thanks to this workshop, through the conception of a shooting and production charter, are of course fundamental. They must be the mutual axis of work, in order to make all the produced documentaries look like a series and not only as a collection of disparate movies. I am convinced that all the workshop participants will respect these recommendations as far as possible. I am tellingso with the consciousness of the difficulties ofthe documentarist’s work, that always conceals some surprises and permanently requires the capacity to adapt the original idea to the discoveries or circumstances which may occur during the shooting. I do believe that this charter is realistic enough to allow each one to remain in the right framework, despite the shooting contingencies.

When is the second production workshop scheduled? What will be its utility for the good progress of the production?

Indeed, a second workshop looked absolutely necessary to us. During the first workshop we planned the shootings to take place between August and November. That is why we decided to schedule the second workshop during the documentaries’ editing or post-production phases, after the shootings, which means on December or on early January. This should allow us,in suchan important stage of the production, to compare the state of our works, to list the difficulties that arose or will arise, to talk eventually about the alternatives of production and of editing on the basis of the choices made after the shooting. It should allow us to agree on the potential or necessary adaptations according to thecircumstances and hazards of the different shootings. This second workshop looks extremely important to me before movingtowards the finishing phase.

---

Inter-Rives II - partners and first workshop
Tunis, 21- 24 July 2009

The second Euro-Arab magazine launched by COPEAM and ASBU in March 2009 gathered the countries from the two Mediterranean shores, from Mashreq and the Gulf area. Rai (Italy), EPTV (Algeria), SNRT (Morocco), ERTU (Egypt), ORTAS (Syria), Al Manar (Lebanon), RTVE (Spain), Al Jazeera Children (Qatar) and San Marino RTV (Republic of San Marino) have already joined the project.

The training workshop in its new formula focusing on the scripts’ writing will be organised in Tunis from the 21st to the 24th, July 2009 and will gather the filmmakers of the partner channels as well as the coordination and the trainers’ teams.