From 10 to 16 December social media personality and dancer Jessica Mpolo, known as CassijeJessica, will be hosting The X-tream Film Camp.
The camp is a weeklong documentary film-making project, which will take place at a farm at Ruacana.
Participants will live and work with members of the Himba community to document their lives and tell compelling Namibian stories.
The organisers hope to educate and inspire aspiring film-makers with workshops and masterclasses, provide a unique cultural experience by immersing participants in the Himba community, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of their customs, traditions and way of life.
“We envision a film camp that celebrates cultural diversity, promotes storytelling and empowers emerging creators to create visually stunning films that capture the essence of the Himba culture,” Mpolo says.
The schedule kicks off with the arrival of participants at Jessica Guesthouse, travelling to the Himba village where filming and camping will occur, and then planning production.
On the last two days of the camp, film-makers will engage in activities that will help them reflect on the work they have done, as well as network and further exchange ideas with each other.
By day seven, the documentary should be completed and will premiere for participants, after which they will be able to give each other feedback.
The purpose of the camp is to foster conversation and continual growth.
It is open for participants aged 18 to 50.
The team will also be filming the whole experience and will produce a web series that shows the journey of those who attended the camp.
At N$2 000 per person, this camp is hoping to impart crucial knowledge onto those joining, as well as provide a safe space for creative exploration, networking and skills upgrading.
Previous iterations of this project have been Mpolo’s X-treme Summer Camp and the X-tream Dance Camp in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
These have served as content hubs, where Mpolo encourages collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and insights to help foster the Namibian creative industry and cultivate a new generation of content creators who can leverage their talents to improve their lives.
Mpolo is an avid film-maker skilled in editing, cinematography, story creation and acting.
- Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, YouTuber and social commentator. Email her at annehambuda@gmail.com, or follow her online @anne__ngl for more.
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