{"id":12914,"date":"2016-04-14T09:03:09","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T17:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=12914"},"modified":"2023-08-24T16:08:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T23:08:44","slug":"camilla-nielsson-gets-unprecedented-access-to-a-constitution-in-the-making","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/camilla-nielsson-gets-unprecedented-access-to-a-constitution-in-the-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Camilla Nielsson Gets Unprecedented Access to a Constitution in the Making"},"content":{"rendered":"

Filmmaker\u00a0Camilla\u00a0Nielsson\u00a0is\u00a0based in Denmark but works all over the globe.\u00a0Her\u00a0previous films\u00a0were\u00a0set in Afghanistan, Mumbai, and Darfur. Then\u00a0she\u00a0turned her attention to Zimbabwe to capture an important and tumultuous period in its political history for her film,\u00a0Democrats<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, which\u00a0won Best Documentary Feature at Tribeca Film Festival and Best Director at One World Human Rights Film Festival, among numerous other awards. \u201cThe game of politics is pretending,\u201d the eerily genial ruling party\u00a0representative Paul Mangwana says in the film, and there is much political gamesmanship in this story of the drafting of Zimbabwe\u2019s first democratic constitution.<\/p>\n

We emailed with director Nielsson from her Copenhagen home to talk about the tense production of the film as well as the aftermath, including the\u00a0Zimbabwe government’s recent\u00a0ban on the film.<\/p>\n

When did you first learn about the story of what was going on with the Zimbabwe constitution, and what compelled you to want to make a film about it? Were you familiar with African politics before, and if not, how did you get up to speed on it?<\/strong><\/p>\n“It was impossible not to get emotionally involved. There was so much at stake.”<\/pullquote>\n

The idea to make this film came from the Danish\u00a0author\u00a0and journalist Peter Tygesen, who has lived in Zimbabwe for many years. He\u00a0originally\u00a0wanted to write a book about the constitution-making-process, and then came up with the idea of making a documentary film. He pitched the idea to Henrik Veileborg, the film\u2019s producer, and I came on board as director. I have always been interested in politics, and through my background in anthropology, also in African politics. But I had never been to Zimbabwe, so\u00a0there was a lot of research to catch up on. There wasn\u2019t a lot of other recent documentary films made in Zimbabwe, and no films from anywhere about constitution-making, so I had to learn about the country and the process on the go.<\/p>\n

Your film was recently banned in Zimbabwe; how did you feel when you found that out, and can you give us any updates on that situation?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have fought the censorship board in Zimbabwe for about a year, and in each attempt they have rejected our application for distributing the film, arguing that Democrats<\/em> is \u201cnot suitable for public viewing.\u201d I was of course disappointed that this was the censors\u2019 decision, but I was also not too surprised as the film is critical of the regime and President Mugabe, and that is a no-go in Zimbabwe. We have just appealed the ban in the Supreme Court, and are awaiting their decision. Hopefully they will overturn the censorship board\u2019s decision, so that all Zimbabweans will have a chance to see the film about how their constitution was made.<\/p>\n

Both your main characters (Paul Mangwana and Douglas Mwonzora)<\/strong> had times where they felt threatened, even feared for their lives, sometimes with good reason. How did you maintain your distance while they were going through that? Did you worry about their safety?\u00a0 Did you worry about your own safety for that matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n“The situation in Zimbabwe is worse than when we were making the film.”<\/pullquote>\n

I didn\u2019t really manage to keep a distance. During the many conflicts, whether political or when there was acts of violence, it was impossible not to get emotionally involved, because there was so much at stake. I don\u2019t think my involvement affects the film in a negative way, though. On the contrary, I feel that the personal bonds that these situations created between the two protagonists and myself helped generate a feeling of intimacy and presence that is there in the film. Over the three years we were filming, I became very close to them, and when one was put in jail, or their lives were threatened, of course I couldn\u2019t help worrying about them and their safety, and at times my own safety as well. Luckily nothing ever happened!<\/p>\n

You’ve made films in several distinct parts of the world. What stood out to you about Zimbabwe? What fascinated you and what surprised you the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What surprised me the most was the resilience and the specific Zimbabwean sense of humor with which so much hardship is overcome. It is difficult to explain, but there is this subtle gentleness and a very understated kind of humor, which I think is keeping a lot of tensions under wraps, and defuses potential conflicts both in the political sphere as well as in everyday life. It was almost an impossible task for the opposition and the ruling party to agree on anything, but when tempers were high due to disagreements, a deadlock was often avoided through the use of humor. I think politicians in my own country could learn a lot from this approach to conflict resolution.<\/p>\n