Walking Is Dancing

Deborah Stratman chose a country she knew little about for this Forget Africa project. In fact, a country not many people know much about. And that can tickle the curiosity. Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world and, partly as a result, an old medium like radio is still very important. Stratman has a heightened interest in sound and music and the way this functions in society. It forms her guiding principle in a journey through the country. The journey from radio studio to radio studio, but also to the farthest corners of the country.
Stratman is an artist, and her point of departure was not to make a documentary with a preconceived structure. She allowed herself to be led by her interests and also by chance encounters. She went from town to town and village to village, from classroom to amusement arcade, and finally back to a radio studio. She allowed herself to be led by the rhythm of contemporary life in Malawi and was open to everyone with a special idea.
Her frugal approach to her limited budget and ability to put up with cheap lodgings meant she could stretch her stay in Africa as long as possible. It gave her time to get to know people and experience situations, and record them.

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