N’Djamena – “How has migration impacted the socio-economic development of Northern Chad?” “How can art contribute to community stabilisation and strengthen social cohesion?” Watch the new documentary “Notre terre vue par nos yeux” (Our land through our eyes) produced by six young Chadians, which offers a unique insight into the coexistence between communities in Northern Chad.

In 26 minutes, Fatime, Yasmine, Prudence, Hissein, Issakha, and Mahamat Hemchi, six young Chadians living in Faya city, tell their own stories. Equipped with mini cameras, the young people capture their daily lives to break down stigma and stereotypes about Northern Chad, a part of the country that is still unknown to many people.

Produced with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and through participatory filmmaking, “Notre terre vue par nos yeux” (Our Land Through Our Eyes) addresses current societal issues including living together, migration, and social cohesion.

“The idea behind the documentary was to use art as a tool for community stabilization and strengthen social ties among young people, but also between different social groups,” said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chief of Mission in Chad.

“Building a fairer and more sustainable future depends on equal participation of all individuals. The increasing accessibility to technology allows more and more people to actively participate in civic dialogue and this is what we have built on through the participatory approach,” she added.

In preparation for the filmmaking, the six young participants, selected based on their dedication, were trained in audio-visual content production by a professional documentary maker. They were then each provided with a small mobile camera to enable them to film and tell their stories.

By encouraging young people to develop artistic and creative skills, they become empowered to increase visibility of their communities and break down potential social prejudices about their experiences.

“This documentary has helped me discover new environments with other young people and I am very happy with this experience,” said Yasmine, one of the young participants.

Chad, like other countries, has a rich history of migration. From the Lake Chad Basin to the Ennedi Plateau, the Toumaï country was and still is deeply marked by transhumance, trade movements, labour migration, voluntary and forced migration, as well as religious mobility. This entails issues about coexistence of different groups of people across the territory and the impact of these migrations on both building and development of the Chadian society.

The integral version of the documentary film “Notre terre vue par nos yeux” is available here.

The documentary film project “Notre terre vue par nos yeux” was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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For more information, please contact

Francois-Xavier Ada, Communications Officer. Email: fadaaffana@iom.int.