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The project in 2 min

For more than 20 years we have been looking for new ecological and economic models, yet nothing has really changed. If anything, the situation is worse.

So why not look for existing solutions to reflect upon our own system of development?

Through our journey to Cuba, we want to offer you a vision for the future and show that alternatives are possible through portraits of ordinary women and men, change makers of Cuba.

Why Cuba?

Cuba is one of the last socialist regimes in the world. By going there we accept tha other political and social administratins can exist and at the same time pondering our own ideologies and systems.

The documentary will focus on three key areas.

1) Updating of the economy

Cuba is undergoing many changes, including a plan to modernise the economy. By permitting entrepreneurship and cooperatives, 500,000 Cubans are independent workers today. These Cuban cooperatives have a new model based on internal management leading to, greater productivity, higher wages and promotion of solidarity and fairness.

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2) An agricultural system based on agroecology

Regarding agriculture, Cuba has developed a farming system based on agroecology. The movement "campesino a campesino" is the perfect example where poor farmers were able to establish a unifiedand environmentally friendly system.}

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3) Education

In education, Cuba is by far the leading country in Latin America to offer the best education to its entire population with results comparable to countries in northern Europe. Education, from kindergarten to university, is completely free for Cubans. This accessibility is lined with a special focus on the quality of education. The massive adult literacy was a success thanks to the "Yo sí puedo" method which has since been adopted worldwide.

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We believe that these areas of interest will show us that there are new practices to learn by going to Cuba.

Who are the change makers?

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The change makers are entrepreneurs, activists, artists, farmers, workers. They are young and old, urban and rural, but what they all have in common is to be one of the Cuban initiatives and innovative projects in favor of a new social project.

When and where?

The project will take place over one year.

Preparation: August-November 2016 between Mexico City (city Flora currently resides) and London (city or live Piotr currently).

On Location: December 2016, in Cuba

Editing: January-March 2017, London and Paris

Release date: March to September 2017, everywhere (at least we hope so!)

Who are we?

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Flora, energetic and passionate.

Flora is from Lyon in France, passionate about social entrepreneurship and multiculturalism.

She has various international experiences; most recently with refugee populations in Istanbul and supporting sexual minorities in Montreal.

In 2015, she co-founded in 2015 the Association Enactus IAE Lyon and launched its first project of social entrepreneurship "Le Tissu Solidaire " which fights against the exclusion of refugees through collaborative and creative workshops.

With her bags currently in Mexico City for one last semester of study in entrepreneurship, she decided to start this new project to highlight social innovation on the island of Cuba.

Piotr, « the tech guy »

Piotr was born a long time ago in Poland and art is his passion. Piotr graduated from the prestigious Film School in Lodz, which recognises graduates such as did Andrzej Wajda (Oscar Film and BAFTA Award), Krzysztof Kieślowski (appointed to Film Oscar) and Roman Polanski (Oscar, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe and Palme d'Or).

He started to work as an illustrator and a graphic designer. Initially in Poland, now living in London, he continues the same profession. Yet knowing that boys just dream and real men do realize dreams, he made his decision to accomplish his most important goal - to make a movie. By a strange twist of fate, fortune smiled on him and Piotr met Flora.

Gabrielle, “our journalist”

Gabrielle is from Canberra, Australia and undertaking a Bachelor of International Studies and Communication in Journalism. Currently in Mexico City to learn Spanish, she is loving life abroad.

Through her studies she discovered a passion for grassroots approaches in sustainable agriculture as a way to promote social justice and dignity. The journalist in her wants to learn more firsthand and share the experience through this documentary.

How did it all begin?

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Officially, Flora and Piotr met at a hostel in Armenia. Unofficially ... Piotr took Flora in hitchhiking (there are no hostels in Armenia!).

This was the starting point for many trips to come. Since then, they have travelled together in more than 8 countries (Georgia, Turkey, Poland, France, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia) and they intend to continue with Cuba now in sight.

Their passion for travel is mainly driven by a desire to meet new people and an interest in new ideas. They love to debate and discuss different ideas. Having come from different trajectories (Piotr is a Polish art enthusiast born in the 1970s under a communist regime and Flora is a French woman born in the 1990s under President Mitterrand, passionate by social entrepreneurship), allows them to enrich debates and ideas.

It is natural that they want to share their knowledge and skills to offer you a documentary highlighting the change in Cuba.

Flora, Gabrielle and Helena met recently during an exchange in Mexico City.

Gabrielle and Helena decided to be part of the project since Flora was always speaking about it! How could they resist? Thanks to them, you can follow the project before, during and after the adventure. They will share their impressions through articles published on our website.

Our impacts

Promote & Enhance: Make a video documentary on the Cuban change makers who work on a new model of society.

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The plan:

Before

- Identify the agents of change

During

- Meet these agents of change

- Conduct video interviews to highlight their background and innovative projects

- Update website regularly to keep the community informed and present change makers encountered.

After

- Organise showing of the documentary

- Writing a book summarising our trip: presentating the actors of change, describing the project, explaining the social innovation solutions provided and photographs.

Support & awareness: Provide help to the change makers by highlighting their work and raise more person after the making of the documentary.

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Change Makers Tour in Cuba