I love movies. Oscar night is my favorite holiday and I try to see all the nominated films. Moving to Zambia last year hampered my ability to see as many as usual before the big night, but it didn’t deter me from settling in on my sofa at 1 a.m. for an all-night viewing of the red carpet and ceremony.

Zambian filmmakers at the Democracy Video Challenge kick-off event in November 2008.

Around the same time the Oscars were taking place, some very special Zambian films were being lauded as well: the Zambian entries in the Democracy Video Challenge. When we launched the contest locally, I tried to temper my excitement with realistic expectations: Zambia is a developing nation with limited technology and bandwidth. Local film and television are nascent industries. If we received one submission, it would be a victory.

When the deadline arrived, Zambian filmmakers had submitted nine films. We didn’t know it at the time, but that was the most of any country in Africa. They ran the gamut from documentary-style explanations of democracy to mini-epics to a simple, dialogue-free representation of democracy as a fruit smoothie. One outlined the history of democracy in Zambia, while another compared the essence of democracy to water and yet another posited that democracy today falls far short of what the ancient Greeks meant it to be.

Technically these short films could never compete with a special effects-laden summer blockbuster. But I find myself returning to YouTube to watch them again and again because of what they represent: Filmmakers overcoming challenges of technology and resources to express themselves, taking a chance, and putting their opinions out there for the world to see and judge. It requires bravery to create something and share it with others.

Chargé d’Affaires Michael Koplovsky and other members of U.S. Embassy Zambia toast filmmaker Chansa Tembo with fruit smoothies

Not everyone believes the arts are important to democracy, but I think vibrant creative expression goes hand-in-hand with vibrant political expression. I’d argue that these films are representative of Zambian democracy itself: Zambia is proud of its peaceful, even quiet, history, even if it means being lesser known than its infamous neighbors. As a young democracy, it is learning how best to express the will of the people and take its place on the world stage.

The nine Zambian filmmakers didn’t arrive grandly at our ceremony in limousines and they didn’t leave with expensive swag bags. They came in public mini-buses and left having shared their creation with a wider audience. They continue to refine their craft and learn from famous filmmakers and each other. I believe their ambition will be a boon to the Zambian film industry and maybe even democracy. And maybe, someday at 1 a.m., I’ll see one of them on the red carpet at the Oscars.

Do you think the performing arts are an important element of democracy? What about performing artists – particularly international celebrities – who adopt political causes? Do their efforts legitimize or undermine serious issues?

Zambian Chansa Tembo’s film “Democracy is Like a Smoothie” was one of six winners chosen by the online voting public in the Democracy Video Challenge. You can watch all of the winning videos, including the winner from Zambia, on the Democracy Video Challenge website.