Private Project

Shame Of Puberty

Akello, a 14 year old impoverished but open minded young girl sees a chance of re-joining school through the school project Search where the best student gets a full year academic scholarship. However, when her menstruation period occurs unexpectedly in the presence of boys, her hope is shattered away by the incident and intimidation of the boys. With no money to buy pads, she opts to overcome the problem by making a Re-Usable Sanitary Pads at the same time helping her poor diabetic aunt.

  • OJOK FRANCIS ODONG
    Director
  • OJOK FRANCIS ODONG
    Writer
  • ANTHONY OKELLO ODONG
    Producer
  • NYAKOBER ANYADWE
    Producer
  • OJOK FRANCIS ODONG
    Producer
  • AUMA DILISH PRISCILLA
    Key Cast
    "Akello"
  • OO BEATRICE
    Key Cast
    "Aunt"
  • ODONG MORRISH
    Key Cast
    "Othieno"
  • KIZITO SAMUEL SAVIOUR
    Director of Photography
  • NODRYN EVANCI
    Costume Designer
  • NATHAN WATONGOLA
    Production Designer
  • NODRYN EVANCI
    Makeup Artist
  • KIZITO SAMUEL SAVIOUR
    Editor
  • DANIEL LOWLY MBABAZI
    Sound Designer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Uganda
  • Country of Filming:
    Uganda
  • Language:
    Other
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35 : 1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - OJOK FRANCIS ODONG

Ojok Francis Odong born April 25th 1993 in Odek, Omoro (formerly Gulu), Northern Uganda is a budding filmmaker! He majors in Screenwriting and Directing. Being one of the pioneers of filmmaking in the region, his film career and working with youth around Uganda spans 7 years.
The eldest son in a family of 5 siblings of Mr. Odong Santo Omach, a Primary school teacher and Amito Jennifer, a farmer, Francis considers himself a born-leader and very passionate about working with young people to bring positive social change in their communities through the Film Arts.
With no access to TV during his childhood, he was fascinated by folk-tales stories told by his seniors round the bound-fire. His love for film started growing so huge in 2008 when he was in Senior 2 and started writing some stories which he wanted to make into films once he gets a chance. This was never possible until 2011 when he joined a Youth Film Club in Gulu as a participant/trainee during Maisha Film Lab’s “Youth and Film pilot Project”.
That same year, he made his first short film called My Lost Wallet where he worked as the First AD. The following year, he directed his first short film called The Parcel From Jennifer in 2012 before the pilot project ended in 2013.
When the same project came back in 2015, he has worked as the Program Manager Creative Youth and Film Project with Maisha Film Lab in Gulu and Kitgum in 2015 and 2016 where he facilitated weekly film screenings in Gulu and monthly film screening in Kitgum and Gulu schools film clubs.
During the project, he coordinated and trained many youth in various aspects of film production alongside other some of East African’s renown filmmakers which eventually resulted into the production of over 25 short films produced by youth in the region. He has also done video documentation for some notable organizations such as Peace Corps, Hive Uganda, Vijana Corps among others.
In June 2017, he got more advanced film training in Nairobi from Filamujuani courtesy of Vijana Corps and has been using the same skills to impact on the youth in Uganda.
When he came back from Nairobi he embarked on the production of amazing short film SHAME OF PUBERTY. The film was shot in Gulu in March 2018 and released in October 12th 2018.
He continue to work with young people in Northern Uganda and doing other arts related projects both within and outside of Uganda.

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Director Statement

I am a very passionate story-teller! Growing up where there were no access to TVs, I was fascinated by folk-tales as told by our seniors around the bound fire. I would identify myself with the tales and loose myself in imagination. This has in the long run impacted how I make films. I won’t make any film unless I am emotionally and psychologically attached to the story. For I believe, once the creator of art work is not impacted by his work first, the audience might also not be impacted by it. During the production of the any film, I would make sure I fuse all the various elements of arts; music, sounds, visuals, performance and many others to make the story engaging and thoughts-provoking to the audience. Most of my films tackles situations around our society but I don’t offer solutions, I rather makes films that provokes discussions and challenges our perceptions, thoughts and deeds.
I make films basically for two reasons; to raise awareness and entertain at the same time.
Shame Of Puberty came as a result of a great desire to give a voice, to challenge at how we look at menstruation and suggest a way in which we can support one another!
As a story teller, I am happy this work shall touch more people and help keep girls in school once its screened to wider audiences world-wide.