A filmmaker’s wish to unite people worldwide by letting them see life through each others’ eyes is coming true as people across the globe reach out to each other through modern communication technology.

 

People in countries rich and poor have captured their communities or beliefs in short videos, which will be available to view free around the globe during a four-hour presentation on May 10.

 

The event is dubbed Pangea Day, stemming from a Greek word that refers to the land mass that existed on Earth before it divided into separate continents.

 

It is the result of a wish documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim was granted as part of a Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference prize in 2006, and counts movie stars Meg Ryan and Cameron Diaz among its supporters.

 

When accepting the prize, Noujaim said, since she can’t force people to travel, she wants to “bring the world together” for a day through the power of film.

 

“Movies alone can’t change the world, but the people who watch them can,” she said. “If you had the world’s attention for five minutes, what story would you tell?”

 

Amateur filmmakers worldwide were invited to make digital films showing their viewpoints and upload them via YouTube.

 

Finnish telecom titan Nokia provided mobile telephones with video camera capabilities so people in remote or disadvantaged areas could create films and upload them wirelessly.

 

“By integrating the power of wireless technology into Pangea Day, we can help it meet its goal of bringing together people from around the world,” said Nokia chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo.

 

The www.pangeaday.org website links to an interactive map that pinpoints where free viewings are planned. No gatherings are yet planned for Cambodia.

 

“Anyone, anywhere with a TV, access to the internet or a mobile phone can host a viewing of the Pangea Day program,” organizers promise. (AFP)