Is film the future of public health?

Collaborative Filmmaking: A Global Public Health Innovation

Collaborative filmmaking is an arts-based, participatory research method that presents a unique opportunity for generating scientific knowledge. The method engages youth filmmakers as collaborators, from the initial generation of ideas to answer the research question, through data collection, analysis, and dissemination. As a result of piloting Collaborative Filmmaking in Nepal on the topic of menstruation, the method allowed researchers and community members to capture sensory knowledge, which assisted in developing a nuanced understanding of different menstrual practices and beliefs, particularly related to time and space. Using collaborative filmmaking also allowed for the development of an end product in the form of a documentary film that was used by the youth filmmakers and researchers to raise awareness about the nature of traditional menstrual practices in far-west Nepal. The film was also used to raise awareness about traditional menstrual practices among policymakers in the capital, with the aim to inform future policies and interventions for improving women's and girls' menstrual health in Nepal. Overall, collaborative filmmaking is a useful method to collect visual and nuanced health behavior and belief data using a collaborative approach, where the final product can also be used as an advocacy tool. Distributed through creative commons license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/