Filmmaker Urges Catholic Communicators in Africa on Storytelling
Indian-born filmmaker Dr. Shaison Ouseph has urged Catholic communicators across Africa not to let limited financial resources hold back their storytelling, insisting that passion, commitment, and authentic content can carry compelling stories of faith and hope to global audiences regardless of budget constraints.
Speaking to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the SIGNIS World Congress, held from August 3 to 8 at the Catholic Archdiocese of Kigali in Rwanda, the award-winning filmmaker encouraged communicators to focus on producing content rooted in the Catholic faith and lived human experience, arguing that quality storytelling can achieve meaningful global impact even without substantial financial backing. Addressing communicators directly, Dr. Ouseph said his message was simple: they should not lament a lack of resources, because genuine passion is what ultimately makes projects happen. He added that when communicators combine passion with a clear purpose and content of unique quality, particularly stories rooted in faith, the results can resonate far beyond what limited budgets might suggest is possible.
The congress, notable as the first SIGNIS World Congress to be held on the African continent, featured a screening of Dr. Ouseph’s own production, “The Face of the Faithless,” on August 4. Reflecting on the film’s reception, the filmmaker expressed hope that the production would inspire Catholic communicators to tell stories that deepen faith and promote Gospel values more broadly. He emphasised that his call for the film to be watched was not rooted in personal pride over having made it, but in a belief that its themes represent the kind of story that ought to be shared with the people of God across the world.
Dr. Ouseph described the response from congress participants following the screening as a powerful affirmation of the impact faith-based storytelling can have when produced with genuine conviction, noting that many attendees expressed strong belief in the film’s message and value after watching it.
The SIGNIS World Congress in Kigali brought together Catholic media professionals, communicators, and storytellers from across the globe to reflect on the role of communication in advancing the Church’s mission, with particular attention to the unique context and opportunities facing Catholic media in Africa. The gathering forms part of SIGNIS’s broader mission of engaging media professionals to support Catholic communicators in shaping culture in line with Gospel values, a mission that has previously included regional workshops across the continent focused on themes such as human dignity and the ethical portrayal of vulnerable communities in media coverage.
Dr. Ouseph’s remarks add to a growing conversation among African storytellers and cultural advocates who have increasingly pushed back against narratives that reduce the continent’s stories to poverty, conflict, or hardship, instead calling for authentic, resource-conscious storytelling that reflects the full complexity and richness of African life and faith.
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