Technology Puts a New Twist on Mobilizing Fans
Iranian-American documentary filmmaker Bita Haidarian,
whose work has been described as "the best hope for film and politics in
Australia," launched a groundbreaking project this week, giving her fans a
deciding voice in the new initiative.
After placing a rough trailer of her upcoming film
Finding Bibi online in December,
Haidarian was inundated with positive responses. The film itself, which follows
Haidarian around the world as she documents the lives of Middle Eastern women
and interviews notables like human rights activist Mukhtaran Bibi, already
serves as a clarion call for women's empowerment. But her fans wanted more.
In response, Haidarian, the daughter of Baha'i
religious refugees from Iran, announced the Finding Bibi movement this week. But
unlike many documentary activists, Bita decided to bring her fans in at the very
beginning. Rather than craft a program in isolation and mobilizing supporters
around it, she is offering them the chance create the first project themselves.
Using the ranking technology Slinkset, similar to
applications used in social bookmarking sites like Digg, Finding Bibi fans are
able to submit project ideas and other comments which their peers can rate by
clicking simple up or down arrows. Over time, the most popular ideas rise to the
top. After submitting the top five projects to a final vote, Haidarian has
committed to working out the logistics and obtaining the resources to transform
the best idea into a reality.
"By giving our fans an active role in building
the organization and its projects from the get-go, we know they'll be even more
committed to seeing it succeed later on," said Todd Brogan, Head of Creative
Expansion for Finding Bibi. "We're creating a cycle of empowerment. We give fans
ownership in projects that will in turn empower women and girls to act against
the attitudes and practices negatively affecting them."
The website,
FindingBibi.com, also features updates
on the film and its most recent trailer, as well as regular blog posts on the
constantly innovating organization. The film is slated for completion late this
year.
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If you would like more information about
Finding Bibi the film or movement, please direct all questions to Todd Brogan at
todd@findingbibi.com.
