DER Filmmaker: Danielle Smith

Danielle Smith

Biography

Danielle Smith is an anthropologist, educator and documentary filmmaker. For the past 4 years she has been working closely with the Saharawi people from Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony found in northwest Africa. She has spent long periods in the Saharawi refugee camps in southwest Algeria, living as a member of a large extended family and teaching English at the Women's Vocational Centre. She has learnt Hassaniya, the arabic dialect spoken by the Saharawis and gained an intimate understanding of the culture and society. Her experiences have led to her participation in a widerange of conferences and workshops dealing with women, refugees and human rights.

Since 1992, Danielle has been working in the medium of video and filmmaking and produced and directed the 30 minute educational documentary "Song of Umm Dalaila", which has been shown in a number of film festivals both in the US and Europe. In 1994, she moved to London where she is currently working on a number of cultural and educational projects, primarily related to the Western Sahara.

Danielle was born in Belgium and has lived and travelled widely in Europe and the Middle East. She speaks Arabic, French, Hassaniya, Hebrew and Spanish.

Current and Upcoming Projects

Study Guide for "Song of Umm Dalaila"

This guide is being developed to use in the classroom for students ranging from age 14 to 18. It will support teachers unfamiliar with the Saharawi people and situation, providing additional information and resources and identifying themes and activities that can be introduced in the classroom using the Saharawis as a case study.

"Spanish voices"

This three year long project, funded by the European Union, aims to develop language teaching materials for Spanish and English for children from the age of 11 to 16. Developed within the framework of the Rights of the Child, this project will link children from Guatemala, Western Sahara, Spain and the UK and will be incorporating their diverse their experiences, specific community issues and aspirations into the content of the teaching materials aswell as create an ongoing exchange between the children of the four communities.

"The Beat of Distant Hearts"

A new 50 minute documentary planned for production in 1996. It will be exploring the experience of war, loss and exile at the level of the artist in the Saharawi society. The intimate portrayal of the lives and works of several artists of different generations will provide insights into the nature and impact of the changes taking place in the culture.

Other...

Seeking to be in touch with individuals who have either extensive knowledge of or are aware of good sources on Beidan (Moorish) culture. I am specifically interested in the history and development of music, poetry and storytelling in Mauritania and Western Sahara. Also I would appreciate talking to anyone who may have advice on funding sources for a cultural documentary about the area.

Contact:

I can be reached in London by mail or phone and hopefully in the near future by e-mail.

Danielle Smith
231 Elgin Ave Flat 1
London W9 1NH
United Kingdom
0171-289-3990

Documentary Educational Resources