Putting cameras in the hands of young African asylum seekers. A photo essay by Daniel Cherrin.

Over the past few months, a video course was born and conducted, with the aim of putting the camera in the hands of refugee youth currently living in Tel Aviv.

The ActiveVision Video Project: Asylum City has given the group the opportunity to document their own realities and tell their own stories, through material they wrote and imagined themselves. Such a project creates a sort of freedom within the medium of documentary.

The course was extremely successful and instructors were able to teach the importance of filmmaking and storytelling both in theory and in practice. As a result, some very interesting and important films were produced. The group thus also actively takes part in spreading the awareness of their own situation.

On Sunday January 18, the works created were screened at Circus Y in the Shapira neighborhood, Tel Aviv. The general public is invited and warmly encouraged to experience the city through the eyes of young asylum seekers.

For more information see www.activestills.org/activevision. See also African Refugees in TLV.