My name is Ocakacon Raymond, and I’m an aspiring film writer and director. I’ve wanted to write for a long time, after being inspired by my father, who always loved books and was a writer too. He wrote a book in Acholi and he wanted to add more, but he unfortunately passed away before he achieved his dream. As a child I loved his stories so much and he mentored me to be like him, so I started writing novels.
I developed a stronger interest in film when Maisha Film Lab came to Gulu in 2011, and we were taught screenwriting. I met many people during this training and we networked and it enabled me to grow as a filmmaker. However, the Maisha trainings were brief, and we did not have any good film platforms in Gulu, nor access to equipment. We wanted to create a group for ourselves, but some of us were afraid because we did not have enough resources. There were groups like United Youth Entertainment, but they offered little as they too lacked adequate resources and equipment to help us grow.
The Maisha trainings gave me a good foundation, but we struggled to learn production. The problem was in the office they set up, or the people they put to run the office, because they were not always there. We would go to look for equipment or to edit our films but the office was always locked. We wrote scripts but did not know how to produce them, so when I told people that I am a filmmaker, they never took me seriously because I did not have any film. I had made a film last year and it was shown in Gulu Film Festival, but it was not good. The camerawork and the editing were poor. I struggled to gain recognition and support because without a product to show as proof of your ability, no one will stand with you.
This training has unlocked the mystery of good quality production, and it has now opened doors for me. I made five films as part of the training. I was skeptical about using mobile phones, but now I see the potential they have to replace cameras. I showed some of these films to people who have money to invest in the arts, some of them from my community like Mr Awany the Ugandan Ambassador to the UAE, and others include an NGO based in the UK. They were impressed with what they saw. Mr Awany has promised to finance my future work. It is just the beginning, and I’m yet to make better quality films after receiving more training, but this is a good sign that it is going to change my life for the better.
Written by Ocakacon Raymond.
Raymond is now an award-winning filmmaker in Gulu. He has directed many short films. Click here to know more about his films. He is currently the Executive Director of creative Hub where they train budding filmmakers the art of filmmaking.
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