Veteran filmmaker Jill Samuels founded Films Without Borders in 2010 to offer filmmaking workshops for youth living in challenging countries around the globe. Over the years, the charity has created workshops in countries including Israel, Rwanda, South Africa, Palestine, and in aboriginal communities in Australia, meanwhile attracted the backing of figures such as George Lucas and the Duke of Edinburgh. Having taken the decision this summer to close the doors to FWB, Samuels reflects on the foundation and what it has been able to achieve.
“Films Without Borders (FWB) was amazing! Initiated and developed by myself and a group of powerful women – Christina Estrada, Dalit Nuttal Kim Robson (in Kenya we have partners Mita Vohra /The Sandy Vohra Foundation/Sarova Hotels and Sima Dajom) – it set out and achieved what we always wanted: to change the life of young people through the powerful media of film. Our aim was to break down barriers, build bridges, and create a dialogue whilst simultaneously teaching youth the first stages of film production and placing young people in internships.
A non-political foundation, over the years FWB has worked with the Massai Tribe of Kenya, indigenous tribes of Australia, youth in Lebanon orphans of Rwanda, Kibera and Mathare slums, as well as youth in Israel and Palestine. Through its work, FWB has unearthed, mentored and launched careers of numerous young people.
Our success stories have been varied and many. Here are just two of them:
We placed a Lebanese boy on a Meryl Streep film in the UK, followed by an internship at ABC Australia. Today he has moved to the UAE and set up and is running his own successful post production company .
From Rwanda, we supported an orphan to attend film school in Kenya, providing him with daily written English lessons. Lionsgate supported bringing him to the UK to intern on a blockbuster. He attended the Cannes Film Festival where he participated in the BFI tent. We taught him how to ‘network’, do a room, etc. Today he is based in Texas having won the Green Card Lottery and is in full time employment. At night he is taking degree courses to further himself. He is fully aware this is his time to shine, and it was made possible by FWB.
We received incredible support from countless influential people and organisations including Sunni Vohra, chairman of Twickenham Film Studios, the BFI, Nadja Swarovski and The Eranda Foundation. We received ‘hands on’ support from leading figures in the film and TV industry such as George Lucas, Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Mendes, Dame Judi Dench Mike Newell, the late Trevor Green, Paul Higginson, Con Gorne, Simon Hunt, Clare Leach. The list goes on…
The most special ‘thank you’ must, however, go to The Earl of Wessex, today known as The Duke of Edinburgh. Thanks to the Duke’s office, members of staff from The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme UK provided education and help with the process of setting up a foundation, including around safeguarding. The Earl of Wessex, meanwhile, would always make time in his diary to host an evening to showcase the work of the awards and FWB.
The BFI always screened the FWB films at the yearly Cannes Film Festival. FWB won many film festival awards and philanthropy awards throughout the world.
Then along came COVID. The whole world stood still and with it came lifestyle changes, the increase in safeguarding requirements and regulations in the UK. The total lack of safeguarding awareness in the countries we were operating in was a major concern and consideration to wind up the foundation.
When we started out, we were amongst the first film foundations, but over the years many others have launched. Looking back, we had no full-time staff, were manned by volunteers and only paid freelance educators. We worked on a shoestring and yet manage to change many people’s lives. To go forward, I felt we needed a younger person at the helm, someone in touch with the new fast moving technology to help young people move forward with the times and participate in the new world of production.
As for me, I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge over the last decade and am now focusing on my own projects. I recently completed the documentary film, Saving Dror, and am developing further projects. I will always highlight projects that bring awareness to the world whether through humour or facts.”
