One of my favorite Volunteer Projects in Azerbaijan is being done about as far away from Khachmaz as possible, up at the very top of the second finger, in Zagatala. Its a movie club, started by Mike Raybourne, an AZ7. Since inception a couple years ago, the kids involved have written, shot, and edited many many movies. Its also one of those precious few clubs where the girls are just as active and involved as the boys.
What these kids have produced is pretty great (check out some vids below). We grow up with computers and digital cameras and, to a certain extent, they do too (though not at the level of prevalence as in America). But we also grow up in a culture that actively encourages imagination and artistic expression, encourages taking on big projects with lots of organization and planning. That's not as prevalent here and this club develops these skills in the best possible way.
Mike actually extended his service for a third year to make this project bigger, and September 8th 2012 will host the first Azerbaijani Student Film Festival. I know I've done this a couple times before (only a couple!) but if you're looking for a great way to make a 100% tax-deductible charitable contribution, I highly recommend you watch the video below (its in English) and consider heading over HERE. I'll warn you, the video is pretty powerful.
Otherwise, you can also support them simply by watching. Below are my two faves-a zombie movie and the epic time-traveling 'Kids of the Future'. If you want to see more, check out the Zagatala Movie Club Channel on YouTube HERE.
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