The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Charles Yates
1 April 2008
A French film producer Gus Pas has called on Liberians to see reason to forgive former children soldiers for their roles played in the Liberian civil conflicts.
Producer Pas made the call when he launched the "Back to Christopolis" a documentary film, which focus on the perspective on the hope of integration of former Liberian child soldiers.
In the Back to Christopolis documentary film, producer Pas and his crew recruited former Liberian child soldiers and used them as major characters in the film. He said the idea of filming the former child soldiers in the documentary is to show how they are managing to overcome their memories of the war.
"This documentary movie is intended to show the reality of integration by former child soldiers and the challenges they face in integration", Pab said.
Mr. Gus Pas said that the whole ideal about featuring Liberian children soldiers was from his son, Klaus Pas who is the main producer of the film.
He said the documentary formed the lives of three child soldiers and also youths living in the outskirts of Paris.
"We therefore decided to build a bridge between these youngsters living in Liberia and youngsters who are geographically and most likely culturally closer to France", he disclosed.
The documentary shows three former Liberian child soldiers struggling for reintegraton into their society and the challenges they encountered.
The three main Liberian characters featured in the documentary are Musa Sillah, Sam Kolo and Dories Cooper all former child soldiers.
It was produced by the Pasmania entertainment limited, a film producing company owned by the Pas family in France.
In the 83 minutes well produced documentary film by Klaus Pas of France and veteran Liberian film producer and production manager of the documentary, Sylvanus M. Turay narrated challenges the young generations of the both countriesencountered intend of integration into their separate society.
The launching took place at the Mano Resource compound in Sinkor over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the copy right board and the Liberian Movie union has commanded the Pasmania entertainment for its hard work to produced a documentary account of the integration of former Liberian child soldiers.
The copy right board said it would do all in its power to protect the work of the French production.
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How can the general public get copies of the film? Is there a way to view it online or purchase the film?
Yes: check www.pasmania.com for more info about the film.
Send me an email with your contact details and I will figure out the price with postage to your country. DVDs are PAL system only. Email: klaus.pas@pasmania.com
I will like to know if these film producers need other actors. If yes, pleas let me know as I am interesting in acting as well. Please sent me an e-mail if with further information.
Thanks in advance.
IHFlemister Jr.
Please contact me if you are a former child soldier. I would like to tell your story to the world. I operate a website called ChildSoldierRelief.wordpress.com and could post your story to the site.
I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me through the website under "About".
Best, Christine
Filmaka.com and SAB Miller have added to the prize for their international short script competition. If you submit a winning pitch for "Because life is what you pour into it", SAB Miller may decide to convert it into a web series or put it together with other selected shorts and play it in theatres, so give it your best! They have also extended the deadline to June 11 to encourage everyone to submit their best work. SAB Miller will choose 15 of these pitches and give each filmmaker $1500 and 3 weeks to make their pitch into a film. 5 of those films will win $5000 - plus maybe the web series and/or theater screening.For more information u can contact at khushikhanna2021@gmail.com . More info at: http://www.filmaka.com/competition.php?page=current&competition_id=253
Regards Khushi
Filmaka.com and SAB Miller have added to the prize for their international short script competition. If you submit a winning pitch for "Because life is what you pour into it", SAB Miller may decide to convert it into a web series or put it together with other selected shorts and play it in theatres, so give it your best! They have also extended the deadline to June 11 to encourage everyone to submit their best work. SAB Miller will choose 15 of these pitches and give each filmmaker $1500 and 3 weeks to make their pitch into a film. 5 of those films will win $5000 - plus maybe the web series and/or theater screening.For more information u can contact at khushikhanna2021@gmail.com . More info at: http://www.filmaka.com/competition.php?page=current&competition_id=253
Regards Khushi
Thanks for this article Charles.
I am glad people enjoyed the film. According to Guy Pas, all three main characters of the film were present at the opening premiere in Monrovia and really enjoyed it: Abraham Sillah, Sam Kolo and Dorris Cooper.
I hope the film will have an impact on the youths it talks about and also on other youngsters throughout the world. Integration is an infinite topic. We all try to fit in our worlds every day and we all know it's not always easy.
Here is the link to the film webpage: http://www.pasmania.com/backtochristopolis_synopsis_1.html
Here is another link to the trailer of the film, which you can find on youtube, dailymotion, facebook, myspace and many other similar portals: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ls7CU2ULL0U
Leave your comments on the youtube page. We are looking for every possible way of distributing the film.
Take care, peace, Klaus