An Australian non-profit that provides open-source playground building resources to communities across the world, Playground Ideas, will have the story of its innovative loose parts play solution, the Nüdel Kart, shown on the big screen during the Transitions Film Festival in Melbourne.
A deconstructable, mobile play kart that can be reconfigured in endless ways, the Nüdel Kart prototype was trialled and tested in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, which is currently home to an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
The project was led by Marcus Veerman, founder and CEO of Playground Ideas, and documented by Roger Ungers, who has produced the feature length film The Wheels of Wonder.
Despite plenty of planning, the group were faced with numerous challenges while constructing and trialling the Nüdel Kart prototype with the city’s refugee children.
The film documents the making of the Nüdel Kart and how it was received by the children who were given the opportunity to use it.
Along with highlighting the importance of play, The Wheels of Wonder also shines a light on the immense challenges facing those who have been forcibly displaced, combining politics with uplifting moments of strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
“This is the first of hopefully many film festivals where our story will be shown,” said Mr Veerman. We will also offer rural and remote schools the rights to screen the film to raise funds to purchase a Nüdel Kart for their school, whether that be through selling tickets for a movie night, a sausage sizzle or other initiatives.”
The Wheels of Wonder will be screened as part of the Transitions Film Festival on Sunday 23 February 2020 at Cinema Nova in Carlton. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.