EQUAL VOICES WORKSHOP POWERS AWARD-NOMINATED SCRIPT
ICAPA’s Equal Voices Workshop proves its power with two projects breaking international ground.
EUROPE IS NOT THE OPTION, a story developed by Austrian Franz Berner and Nigerian Loveth Ighedosa through ICAPA Trust’s Equal Voices Workshop (EVW), recently received development funding from the Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI), and has now been nominated for the Screenplay award at Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney in Germany.
EUROPE IS NOT THE OPTION follows a 16-year-old Nigerian girl named Love, who must fight her way out of human trafficking after being lured abroad under false pretences. The story is based on the real life story of one of the scriptwriters, “Most Africans tend to think that once you go to Europe, you’ve made it. But that’s not always true. I want to inspire someone to stick to finding something to do with their lives in their motherland to avoid an experience like mine,” said Loveth ..., who is co-writing the script with Austrian filmmaker Franz, a scriptwriter and Equal Voices Workshop participant and Gabriele Sindler, co-facilitator of EVW, who supports the two as a dramaturg. The collaboration is turning a painful and traumatic personal experience into a story with global relevance.
Commenting on the role of the EVW in the script's development, Sindler noted “The EVW is a very strong model with immense potential to refine African storytelling so much that these stories become globally competitive. The progress we’ve seen...shows how the workshop helps shape locally rooted stories in ways that can connect with audiences around the world.”
Berner observed, “Pushing this project forward has proven to me the importance and effectiveness of working as a team. "Without Loveth or Gabriele, this project would not exist or get the recognition it has already in its early stages”. He added that ICAPA Trust has created a space where writers not only learn from experts but also exchange networks, skills, and experiences, ensuring no one is left behind. As a result Berner sees the EVW as being not only a workshop for writers, but a significant space where African writers can grow and prepare their stories for the world stage. Both Berner and Sindler agree that guidance and feedback throughout the EVW contributed, to moving their project from a basic draft to something more polished and internationally accessible. “The Equal Voices Workshop is a very good model, so much so that there is a real need for more funding for spaces like this – places that help shape stories and give them the strength to be told well,” added Sindler, who went on to note that the EVW is unique in the way it provides structure and support for voices that are not often heard .
Bringing a human trafficking story like EUROPE IS NOT THE OPTION to life is fraught with very specific challenges. One significant hurdle is building strong antagonists, particularly "Madam" characters who facilitate trafficking, due to the lack of accessible, real-life testimonies from thedr perpetrators. The team is actively searching for willing sources that can engage discreetly. For ..., the writing process is also personally demanding. “Sometimes working on the script brings back memories I’ve tried to move past, but I know this story will help someone else avoid what I went through, and that keeps me going,” she said.
EUROPE IS NOT THE OPTION has become the second project from the workshop to be recognized by international institutions. In February this year, Marwa Ali’s FOR DANIEL, which recently won a post-production grant at Africa's biggest films showcase, FESPACO, Ouagadougou. These consecutive recognitions show growing global interest in African stories and affirm the Equal Voices Workshop as a vital incubator that empowers emerging African voices, especially African women's voices, to develop to be heard internationally.
