FilmHack, Mordy
Go digital in art
About the practice
FilmHack is the first in Poland online knowledge hub on how to create interactive films for educational and cultural purposes. Participants worked on Polish-Jewish history from Mordy town before the war, based on the fate of the inhabitants. The direct reason for these actions was the insufficient presence of Polish-Jewish relations in the social memory. To come up with this whole project from scratch is a time span of 9 months.
- 2018/2019 inspiration from theNAC hackathon 2019 decision to do hackathon
- 05.2019 submitting a grant application (digital innovations within history and human rights)
- 09.2019 funding decision
- 10-11.2019 work with the community in Mordy town, online and offline searches
- 03.2020 important visit in local community - recording interviews with witnesses of history
- 03.2020 - a twist in online (similar promotional campaign, cooperation with experts, hackathon program, at first 1 weekend, but then extended to 2 weekends)
- 05.2020 - hackathon - 2 weekends
- 06-09.2020 - postproduction, preparation for implementation, sustaining community
- 10.2020 another application for implementation, sustaining the community
- 12.2020/01.2021 - they applied for new funding but withdrew, the sponsor withdrew
The decision to apply for implementation of the movies prototypes is on the creators side.
“We were in Mordy on March 8 or 6, there was then a large fair, a local event that helped us tell about this project. We also used this time to record short video interviews.”
“We had our own ideas for this film, for example: a Jewish immigrant, politics in Mordy, social life in Mordy.”
Story behind
Karta’s aim: impact on informal adult education and peoples attitudes in the modern civic community (tolerance, inclusion) hackathon aim: to create a prototype of an interactive film. in order to engage, to influence attitudes, to teach critical thinking. Why interactive film? Because it’s an innovative medium - the viewer influences the course of the action. Narrative inspired by local history, from individuals.
About the institution
Independent non-governmental organization which discovers, preserves, and disseminates history as seen from the perspective of the individual. Its mission is to build civic community and promote reconciliation. They run the largest social archive of the 20th century in Poland.
“We discover, protect and spread our culture from the perspective of the individual. We want the past to build a civic community, and we work for the present and future. That's how we fix the future’”
Context
The Karta team participated in other hackathons (NAC) in 2018 and it inspired them to enter in 2019 Digital innovations within history and human rights call for proposals. Karta believes that creating digital products without active participation of an audience is passe.
Location
online, Mordy - a small town in Siedlce county
Success factors
Hackathon formula is useful because it allows to build a community around the subject. Another success factor is that interdisciplinary work is engaging and stimulating. Participation of relevant mentors and multidisciplinary jury (this was easier with online) - they attracted participants. An approach about audiences as co-creators, rather than finished deliverables for audiences. The team has participaded in other hackathons, got inspired and gained experience beefore organising one by themselves
Target audience
Target groups we focused were regular recipients of Karta’s activities: teachers and students, selected local community in Mordy, filmmakers, archivists, historians, designers, programmers (hackthon participants), target group of the hackathon itself: testers, people interested in culture, mentors and juries
Sustainability
The project can be transferred to other institutions and parts of it can be reused. However we have to take under concideration that it was an intentional experiment. They could make mistakes, reformulate, because it was an innovation programme that financed it and they had flexibility.
“In-depth teaching about what an interactive film is and about mock-ups are to key points that foster the sustainability of long-term results.”
“During the event there is an element, as if hope, that these products will live longer than during the project.”
“The project was to be continued, the participants had to finish the prototypes, but of course, it requires a large budget, which turned out to be an obstacle.”
Digital tools
easily accessible tool, implemented by outsorced experts and partners:
- fb group (then it was innovative)
- google calendar
- MS Teams
- Zoom (with rooms)
- Mura.ly,
- Figma for prototyping
“We did not try to force innovative tools, we used those that were well known to us and the only thing we set up was a Facebook group. We used video conferencing tools, for example Zoom, groups were divided into rooms.”
Funding
Memory-Responsibility-Future Foundation - 100% funding (German foundation); Digital Memory competition, medium-budget (because without money for film implementation, prizes several dozens of thousands).
Plans
Involvement of a new sponsor partner
Organization/ Institution
KARTA Center Foundation - Fundacja Ośrodka KARTA
Good practice linkhttps://karta.org.pl/hackathon
Address
ul. Narbutta 29, 02-536 Warszawa
Contact person on good practice
Agnieszka Kudełka
education department employee