Elisha Thompson is a Tanzanian filmmaker who believes that the Image is a great weapon to change the community to positive step, if it is used careful”

Elisha has always had passion for visual media. Following his dream to make films, in 2009, Elisha graduated with degree in Bachelor of Fine and Performing Arts in Film and Television Production at the University of Dar es salaam.

Elisha has since gone on to work with a range of organisations and production companies, in the process, acquiring a growing portfolio of films and TV spots.

Partnerships

In 2009, Elisha participated in a series of training courses in research, documentation, advocacy and editing organised by the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). The course helped to significantly advance Elisha’s existing capacity and gave him access to cameras, GPS and an editing suite.

In 2009, Elisha worked with a German production company ‘Compass Film’ as a sound engineer and camera assistant. Here, he worked on producing a documentary film called Witch Hunting. The film exposed the brutal killing of old women with red eyes. Ostracized by the community, the women were accused of being witches and bringing bad lack to the community. The project concentrated in the western part of Tanzania where they this issue was more prevalent.

In the same year, Elisha was commissioned by Haki Elimu to produce two TV spots calling on the government to inject funding for education and teacher’s housing.

Elisha has partnered with the Anti Female Genital Mutilation Network (AFNET) to coordinate a media campaign against female genital mutilation and cutting using documentary film and television spots.

Elisha has been a long standing volunteer with DONET, and organization dealing with environment conservation and awareness training.

In 2010 Elisha set up his own production company called Desert Film Unit. With a vision for a better Tanzania, his work largely focuses on documenting and exposing the issues that affect the lives of communities in Tanzania such as maternal health, education and HIV.

Documentary films

1.DREAM

(c) Elisha Thompson 2009 Dodoma Tanzania

A film that talks about quality education for poverty alleviation in order to reach Millennium Development Goal in 2015. The film exposes the sad state of the education system in Tanzania, which is mirrored in many sub-saharan countries. The film urges the governments to be serious in promoting education sector and supporting children who live in poverty to get quality education. These children are the future. Without doing that to reach Millennium Development Goal in 2015 will be a DREAM.

2:MARTENAL HEALTH

A film exposing the shortage of health facilities in rural areas and need the improvement in order to reduce the death of pregnant women and children.

3:A FAMILY IN DANGER

A film which talks about a true story of a family which stricken by HIV/AIDS where the spread caused by poor taking care of a patient. So the film need for education provision about caring the people who live with HIV/AIDS at home

4:CHINYAMI FOREST

A film which talks/exposes the destruction of forest reserve called Nyinyami. This forest is a water source to the entire region of Dodoma where the people depend the water from that forest. So some local authorities of the villages live near by the forest bribed and allow the people to destroy the forest through lumbering charcoal burning and farming. The film need for good governance in forest management. The film was funded by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Television spots

1:TEACHERS HOUSES

A 60 seconds television spots which urging the government to improve number of teachers houses, because the condition is worth. The houses for them are not enough. The government promises that would build 22,000 houses for teachers, but up to now is just only 300 houses for teachers which have been built. The spot funded by Haki Elimu.

2:IN SERVICE TRAINING

A 60 seconds television spots that need for a governmen to have in service training for teachers in order to improve their performance in the class hence to improve the quality of education. The spot funded by Haki Elimu.

3:MALE INVOLVEMENT

A 60 seconds television spots that educate the men to go with their wife at clinic. Where at clinic they will get good education about the health of a mother and the offspring they expect. The spot was funded by Women Dignity Organisation.

4:DELIVERY ON CLINIC

A 60 seconds television spots that insist a women to deriver on clinic that depending on traditional midwives. The aim is to reduce the death of pregnant women and Children. The spot funded by Women Dignity Organisation.

5:COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

A 60 seconds television spots that insist the Villages’ health comities to be serious and have good programs relating to health matters in order to improve health facilities in the communities. The spot funded by Women Dignity Organisation.

Television Programs

1:THE CREW

A television Programme that target on youths issues for the positive change. The approach of the Programme is 3 youths (1 camera man, 1 sound man and Interviewer)  form a crew round in the streets conducting interviews with their cameras and other equipment where at the last the expert relating to the topic concluding the topic discussed through variety of interviews where youths participated. So the program needs double crew in order to accomplish the task. because one crew have to been seen by the viewers that they are in work. This program mostly base on youths health.

2:MY STORY

A television program that target on youths but most base on Economic issues. Where youths learned from some one story who passed from many problems and at last achieve .The aim is to encourage youths because most of them loose hope of achieving their life and decide to involve in drugs and prostitution

CONTACT DETAILS:

E-mail: elitson@yahoo.com

Mobile: +255 (0) 745236418