Hello Europe!

In Spring 2009, DCTV’s mobile television production bus, The Cybercar, crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Challenged by our partner organization, Internews Europe, to help educate people from The Balkan States about the European Union, The Cybercar set out on a peace mission, with teen filmmakers from Georgia, Armenia an Azerbaijan, visiting five countries in Western Europe - France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg.

One major goal of the trip was for the young filmmakers to connect with European youth and learn about how countries in the European Union work together - especially countries like France and Germany that were enemies in two world wars. Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan themselves have historically had tension between them, so another layer of the project was for the youth filmmakers to work together successfully as a team.

Before the trip, the teens created videos about life in their home countries to share with the Europeans and each other. Using the Cybercar’s “Time Square” style video wall to project their movies and host talkback sessions, the youth were able to turn local schools into outdoor movie theatres.

Throughout the trip, the teen filmmakers worked with professional camera operators to create video pieces documenting their journey. These short videos focus on topics such as recycling, the holocaust, programs for the handicapped, the European Parliament, and the media. Local television stations in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan broadcast a series of ten pieces about the youth’s experiences.