GEECT Hardship Fund 2020

The Context
At the end of 2019, all the Lebanese citizens discovered that their life savings had vanished from the banks. Those savings are particularly important in Lebanon because in the absence of a state and normal social service, personal funds guaranteed the education of children, health care and retirement plans. This was the first blow to everyone’s moral, but also to the school’s capacities to buy equipment, pay foreign teachers and plane tickets, or even have an international card to pay memberships, festivals, etc. The second step was the popular revolt against the political and bank corrupt establishment, that erupted on the 17th of October, causing unrest on the streets and in the minds. Students and teachers heavily participated in the demonstrations, and that had an impact on the beginning of the academic year. The government fell, another was formed, which in turn fell on the 10th of August. Lebanon is currently without a government.

Covid-19 came after, around March, with the measures we all know too well, so there is no necessity to develop here. Finally, the 4th of August one of the most terrible events in the history of Lebanon, with the port explosion in Beirut, which wiped out an important part of the city, the part where artists live and evolve… many teachers, staff and students lost friends, homes, and lots of them lost hope.

The conjunction of these 4 factors, Economic collapse, Revolution, Covid-19 and explosion has unimaginable results on the moral and the ability to resist of the Lebanese people, known for its resilience.

The students, teachers, staff are terribly challenged. Psychologically, economically, in their health, in their physical integrity, in their homes, in their safety. In short, and for the first time in our history, “They are not well.” Private schools depend solely on students’ tuitions. Even if the tuitions are still pegged on the old dollar rate, which results into insignificant sums today, (the currency lost 80% of its value) students can’t pay them. Families are leaving the country, and more dramatically, teachers and professionals are leaving as well.

The challenge today is to try to continue as much as possible with the same quality of teaching, even if this will mean working much harder for our administrative team and teachers.

The Challenge
Open call for collaboration with Lebanese Film Schools

We would like to launch a call for collaboration with the Lebanese Film Schools that can help these schools in some small way to cope with the challenges they are currently facing.

The following are only examples of activities we would like to urge GEECT schools to assume by supporting the travelling costs of the teachers involved. GEECT would be willing to invest up to 5k to support these activities.

– Between November and February, a masterclass (two or three hours, in one or two parts, (online) around Serial Writing (students will be writing a web series).

– Around March 2021, for second years, a three to four days filmmaking workshop, around staging and directing actors, in the studio.

– February 2021, for third years, a weeklong workshop on Trans media, and the convergence of new writing.

– Around March 2021, for third years, a three-week production workshop (the students will have adapted a short story in a scenario, it will have to be done).

– GEECT schools receive guests this year to discuss their films (presentations, discussions, masterclasses, etc.) a video link could be established, so that Lebanese students (and teams) would benefit from it and participate to the debates.

Please let us know by the 5th of December which activities your school could support and help implement. Send an email with your info to: geect.chair@mail.ulusofona.pt