Heidi Lind is from Turku in Finland. She was elected to the UNICA Council in August 2000. She travels a great deal and is fluent in many languages. She is also a great movie enthusiast.

She is the new dynamic head of Finland's amateur movie making organisation and has a special mission to encourage more young people into the clubs. She explained that Finland has the same difficulty recruiting young people as we do. Many clubs appear to be the province of retired people. No matter how young at heart and active the old hands may be this puts off young members.

One project is summer youth camps where among other holiday activities young people are taught the basics and encouraged to make movies. They get no government support for these but are busily seeking sponsorship.

Many towns in Finland have facilities for photographic work and equipment to make town movies. Her organisation is trying to arrange access to such facilities for younger amateurs. At present this has been organised for some clubs on Sundays.

She also emphasises that clubs should try to have special youth workshop sessions where people can receive quick feedback about their work.

Is she a full-time worker for the movement? She laughs. She has a hectic job as an adviser to students in a technical college. Producing the movement's magazine, organising events and just keeping touch with clubs takes up most of her free time.

She seems to be thriving on it.

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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