Ghandi Brigade explores ideas, creates art—collectively
By Kristen Janssen
Photos: Richard Jaeggi
On a windy Saturday outside the Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring, 18-year-old Hawa Toure stands with her clipboard and pencil.
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Jess Samuda films. The Gandhi Brigade recently completed a documentary about responses to September 11, 2001. |
“Camera ready?” she asks Jess Samuda with a tone of authority.
“Camera ready,” Jess answers confidently as she peers into the camera, making a last-minute adjustment to the tripod.
“Actors ready?” Hawa yells to Kevin Crockett and Michael Morris, who are chatting about 20 yards away.
They stop talking and nod.
At this meeting of the Gandhi Brigade, Hawa is directing a movie she drew on a storyboard, while other group members follow her orders. Beezhan Meezan, an independent filmmaker who moved to Washington, D.C. after traveling the world as a freelance journalist,offers his insight and gives Hawa suggestions. He encourages her to keep the rest of the group members focused on the movie.
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“Take control—let them know you’re the director,” he reminds Hawa. “You’re in charge. Tell them what you want them to do.”
Hawa orders Jess to cut the scene as she reminds the boys of their roles. Her movie is about two boys who make cat-calls to a girl (played by Hawa’s friend, Benita Bocar). When one of the boys realizes that treating the girl with respect is more likely to get him her phone number, he does just that. The other boy leaves alone and confused. |
Hawa Toure and Michael Morris set up a shot. |
“It’s about every day life,” Hawa explains. She and Benita giggle as they talk about a man who called out to them at the mall. Hawa wants to use her movie to express that disrespect will get a person no where.
The Gandhi Brigade is about just that: respect. The members who meet each week represent a diverse group. They work with each other and supervise each other as they look to Meezan and Richard Jaeggi, director of Community Technology at Howard University, as mentors.
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Hawa Toure takes a close-up of fellow Brigade member Kevin Crokett |
“What better way for them to grow into adults,” commented Juanita Bailey, who introduced Kevin, and another member, Nicci Jones, to the Brigade.
“I’m tired of reading about crime and young people,” Bailey said. She said the Gandhi Brigade allows its members to grow and learn to express their ideas in a positive way. “They’re the future of this country.”
The group has been meeting weekly since August. They start the meeting by drinking juice and eating bananas, discussing what was accomplished the previous week. Having completed a documentary about Sept. 11 titled “From Out of the Blue,” the group is now working on individual movies. Jaeggi teaches the members how to set up a tripod and use computer software to edit their work. He explains what to do and then asks questions to reinforce that the members understand. They work through the entire process of brainstorming ideas, shooting the film, and editing the film, producing work that reflects situations they face in their lives.
“It’s Richard’s passion,” said Bailey. “He loves the community.”
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Bailey said that with D.C. comes the notion of government, military, and money. But there is more to the community than that bureaucratic world. The Gandhi Brigade emphasizes the teamwork and community spirit that characterize neighborhoods such as Silver Spring and Takoma Park.
“That’s what the world’s really about,” she said. |
Michael Morris with mentor and filmmaker Beezhan Meezan. |
Bailey said she thinks that if the Gandhi Brigade could form a partnership with local businesses, it could expand and become better known. Perhaps then the group could get money for more computers, cameras, and software.
“The sky’s the limit,” she said.
Kevin is in the process of editing clips he filmed last week. He concentrates as he analyzes each clip, naming it and deciding what he should fix. Just as Hawa’s movie addressed an issue in her life, Kevin’s movie offers a glimpse into his life.
Jaeggi asks Kevin what he should do as the first step in editing the next clip. Somewhat frustrated, Kevin responds that he is not sure.
“I come here to learn, but I have a bad memory,” he tells me.
Jaeggi prompts Kevin to figure out the next step on his own. It does not take long.
Bad memory or not, if Kevin comes to the Gandhi Brigade to learn, it looks like he is accomplishing just that. He is learning how to use the computer technology, and he is learning how to express his ideas in a complicated world.
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