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Fritt Ord has provided support for Oscar nominee ‘Burma VJ’
Press Release, 2 February 2010
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, has provided support for the production of the documentary film ’Burma VJ’ and the network of video journalists (VJs) inside Burma that has filmed most of the material used in the film nominated for an Oscar in the category 'best documentary feature'.
The Fritt Ord Foundation hosted the premier of ’Burma VJ’ in Norway on 12 January 2009, in collaboration with the media organisation the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), the main producer Magic Hours Film of Denmark, and the co-producer Mediamente of Norway. The documentary film was directed by Anders Østergaard.
Khin Maung Win, Deputy Director of the Democratic Voice of Burma, comments on the Fritt Ord Foundation's support, the video journalists and the TV project:
"In 2004, the Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided the first financial support for DVB's TV channel project, which led to the establishment of the only independent satellite TV channel in the Burmese language. Along with a few other financial supporters, the Fritt Ord Foundation has awarded annual grants to the successful TV project since 2005. The TV broadcasts have become a major provider of news and information about Burma, not only for millions of Burmese, but also for an international audience. In our view, the support from the Fritt Ord Foundation was decisive, and our dream would never have come to fruition without them.
DVB's video journalists (VJ) are the backbone of the TV project because they are the ones taking risks out in the field. As a result of the video journalists' dedicated efforts during the Saffron Revolution in 2007 and after the natural disaster caused by the cyclone Nargis in 2008, the Burmese regime targetted DVB's journalists to stem the flow of information out of the country. More than a dozen DVB journalists are now imprisoned, serving sentences ranging from 10 to 65 years. However, these severe punishments have not deterred DVB from increasing the group of video journalists inside Burma, and they now number more than 100."
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the production of the documentary film ’Burma VJ’ and another NOK 100 000 for distribution in Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation also supported a pilot project for the establishment of a TV channel under the auspices of the Democratic Voice of Burma by granting NOK 304 500 in 2004. The sum of NOK 1 000 000 was granted for the establishment of the TV broadcasts in 2005, and the same amount was granted in 2006 and 2007. The Fritt Ord Foundation has subsequently allocated NOK 2 000 000 to the media organisation's activities in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
The Fritt Ord Foundation hosted the premier screening of ’Burma VJ’ in Norway.
Video interview with ’Joshua’ in ’Burma VJ’ and Khin Maung Win in the Democratic Voice of Burma
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Supported projects – examples
One Day in History
Photographer Andrea Gjestvang has been granted NOK 100 000 for a portrait project with the working title "One Day in History". Gjestvang will photograph a large number of the young people who survived the Utøya tragedy on 22 July now as they are resuming their regular lives. The portraits will be accompanied by the young people's own words. The project will initially be published in magazines in Norway and abroad and be displayed at several exhibitions. In the long term, the goal is a book publication. "One Day in History" is Gjestvang's contribution to the European photo project "The Rise of Populism".
A list has now been published of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2011.
Folk Music and Nazism
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A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2011.
Photo: Ola Brenno playing for Heinrich Himmler
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2011.
Photo: Ola Brenno playing for Heinrich Himmler
To kill a rabbit. The life of Henriette Schønberg Erken
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The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2011 has now been published.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2011 has now been published.