Hi,
Can someone out there help this guy, please read on...

/Alieu

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Dear Alieu,



Let me introduce myself -- I'm an independent, award winning documentary
filmmaker based in the U.S.A.. My work has been broadcast nationally in the
U.S. on PBS (public broadcasting), it has received much critical acclaim and
won numerous awards; it has screened at film festivals around the world and
has been broadcast in several European countries.   (For more info about my
work, visit www.marloporas.com).

I'm contacting you because I found your website (it looks great!).  I
understand that you don't live in The Gambia any lonber, but i'm interested
in making a documentary film about the effects of tourism in the Gambia and
i'd be grateful for any feedback/contact/advice you'd be willing to give me.
  I’d specifically like to explore how the deeply rooted, traditional fabric
of The Gambia is effected by the European travel industry's hold on The
Gambian economy and psyche.  As a former colony, a tiny country without a
wealth of natural resources that has to work hard to keep its people fed --
how does such a traditionally welcoming population adjust to such a large,
steady influx of Westerners and the waves of possibility that tourist's
money can bring?  Where exactly do Gambians fit into a tourism landscape
that is dominated by European companies that seek to keep their Gambian
tourist enterprises as self-contained as possible, with incentives like
"all-inclusive" packages and hotel compounds, so that little money trickles
down to the local population?  How has Western tourism helped and hurt
Gambian society?

And how do youngsters in particular, with few job prospects and families
that are struggling to get by, handle the lure of tourist dollars and the
pressures of Westernization?  Who are the "bumsters"?  What are the factors
led them to work on the fringes of the tourist industry?  What are the
stories of their daily lives?  What kind of relationships do they form with
the foreigners (whether as lovers, tour guides or salesmen)? What are their
hopes and disappointments? And how does Gambian society view the “bumsters”?



I'm very interested in making an intimate documentary film that profiles
life of a "bumster" over the course of the tourist season.  I'd like follow
a charismatic individual, someone who is open and comfortable in front of
the camera, someone who is interested in sharing their story with me.
Ideally, I'd like to find someone whose family would be willing to be
involved in the project so that I could capture the subject's home life as
well.

The film would also explore, through the subject's interactions with
tourists, why The Gambia captures the imagination of so many Europeans.
What are the tourists looking for on their vacation to The Gambia?  Rest and
relaxation, romance, an escape, a touch of the exotic?  What do the tourists
learn during their time in The Gambia, and what are they incapable of
learning?



While I'd like to make a film that is unique to the Gambian experience, I
also want to craft a story with universal truths that speak to the similar
effects of international tourism being felt throughout the world -- from
Brazil to Cambodia, Jamaica to Mexico.


I should also point out that I aim to highlight the rich cultural traditions
of the Gambia in the film.  I've been taking West African dance and drum
classes (my teachers are from Senegal and Mali) for the past four years --
and my teachers have given me a small window into the beauty of West African
music and dance -- traditions that I'd like to capture in a film, to share
with American viewers.

I plan to visit The Gambia on a research trip in December or January and I
am presently looking for subjects for the film and respectfully ask for your
help in locating people who can help me tell this story or
individuals/organizations that might be able to point me in the right
direction.  I'll also be looking for a Gambian who can work with me as an
Associate Producer on the project.  TV/Video production experience is not
important for the job, I could really use the skills and knowledge of
someone who is organized and thoughtful, and who has been working with the
"bumsters" or who has a thorough understanding of these young men's lives.

If you are interested in helping me on this project, or if you have any
ideas, questions or suggestions,  they would be greatly appreicated.  I can
be reached at [log in to unmask]

I  respectfully thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Marlo Poras

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