It sees movie-making become a fun group activity for anyone who wants to try it. People from all walks of life have made movies since the Factory opened its doors on 1 September. "Over 200 movies have been made since the project was launched," says Russell Grant, co-founder of The Bioscope Independent Cinema, which is the partner of this key French Season project.
"Generally, everything we see on TV or at the cinema and a great deal of the music you hear is made by people who have self-expression as their profession. This means there are a lot of other people we never see or hear anything from. The Home Movie Factory opens its doors to precisely those people," says the originator of the concept, the cult French filmmaker Michel Gondry.
The filming takes place within an interactive exhibition of backgrounds, props and costumes that reflect the iconic and everyday aspects of Johannesburg.
The project is part of the France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013, an initiative facilitated by the governments of the two countries to help their respective peoples to understand each other better through culture, science, sport, education and business.
The French Season in South Africa ends in November while the South African Season in France takes place next year.
For more information on Michel Gondry's Home Movie Factory, go to www.thebioscope.co.za/thehomemoviefactory.
