JAPAN PRIZE International Contest For Educational Media

JAPAN PRIZE 2006 : Program Details

This is an innovative documentary series that simply observes. All the film is shot by the subjects themselves, in this case a dozen 20-year-olds who were carefully chosen with the help of two educational psychologists. The girls and boys were given a digital video camera for three weeks during which they recorded over 150 hours of their lives. The production team then sorted the footage into thematic episodes. They were given only one guideline: “Be natural”. They were the ones to decide what and when they filmed. The result is a refreshingly new look at the lives of twenty-year-olds and is packed with raw, genuine emotion.

This episode’s theme is “parents”. In one case, a physically challenged girl youngster films herself changing cloths and her mother helping her and complains to the camera that she cannot have any privacy from her parents. In another case, a boy speaks to the camera as he walks and films himself and his father going out to eat together as they do every month.

The narration and behavior that appeared in the video are taken from real life. The youngsters express themselves very naturally by telling what they really think and feel and showing their real daily lives such as an exposed upper body. Mirror Image is very popular not only among young people but also older viewers and got the highest rating in Catalonia.

The jury felt this program successfully utilized the techniques, grammar and language of the coming generation of program makers. Shot by the young participants themselves, their contributions, and the contributions they have elicited from their parents, gave fresh insight into the lives, values and concerns of 15-24 year olds. The program moved us on from the current received wisdom about parent and teenage relationships, to a more complex picture. This was achieved through the interweaving of stories, each simple in themselves, but cumulatively building through thoughtful editing into a vibrant, intelligent look at family relationships. The program educated both the younger generation and the older generation. It allowed parents to see the hidden feelings of many children and teens, thus creating space for open thinking and dialogue, whether spoken or unspoken. Equally, it allowed young people to pose the question “Who am I?”