2021 Challenges: Country/Region Challenges Discussion

[sol]

2021 Challenges: Country/Region Challenges Discussion

After much discussion and debate, we decided last year to divide the world into 24 distinct zones in order that we could rotate through every region/country in the world over a two-year period.

Here is the thread from last year where we discussed this: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4521

The discussion last year gave way to the following two line-ups being organised.

2020 Lineup	2021 Lineup
Africa Balkans Canada Caribbean China/Hong Kong/Taiwan Germany/Austria/Switzerland (2018) Iberia (Spain, Portugal and surrounds) (2018) India/Pakistan/Myanmar/Bangladesh Mexico Nordic countries Russia/USSR Southeast Asia	Benelux Central America Eastern Europe - excluding Russia and Balkans France Iran/Central Asia Italy Japan Korean Peninsula Middle East - excluding Iran Oceania South America UK/Ireland

My question on this thread is whether we are happy with this lineup for 2021, or whether we want to change/merge some of the 2021 options.

The 2021 option that I am particularly concerned about myself is Central America. As the person who visited the most countries during the October Latin America & Caribbean Challenge last year, it seems to me that the filmic output from this region is very slim. I still think it was a wise move to take the Caribbean out of the equation and have it separate this year since Cuba alone has over 2000 films, but none of the Central American nations are (at least to my knowledge) massive film producers.

Here are some possibilities that I have been mulling over. What do you all think?

Option 1 - what is currently scheduled

South America

Central America

Option 2 - group Central and South America into Latin America and have a separate Argentine Challenge

Latin America excluding Argentina

Argentina ..................................

Option 3 - group Central and South America into Latin America and have a separate Brazillian Challenge

Latin America excluding Brazil

Brazil .................................

Any other ideas?

We could also just have a giant Latin American Challenge (including Argentina and Brazil) and section off one of the other 2021 Challenges, e.g. have East Europe and Poland or Czech/Slovak separately in the freed-up slot.

Any thoughts and other suggestions are welcome.

[maxwelldeux]

For me, I think we agreed on a 2-year experiment for country challenges, and I'd vote we leave 2021 unchanged. We have 12 lined up that are distinct from the 2020 challenges, so let's go with those.

[sol]

For me, I think we agreed on a 2-year experiment for country challenges, and I'd vote we leave 2021 unchanged. We have 12 lined up that are distinct from the 2020 challenges, so let's go with those.

Sure, I'd like to keep the 2-year experiment going.

The only thing I'd argue is that with 8211 feature length films and documentaries, Argentina has probably produced more movies than Central America, and therefore rather than have South America and Central America as 2021 Challenge Options, it would make more sense to have Latin America (exc. Argentina and Argentina as 2021 options instead. Both of these options would cover the exact same amount of territory, but there would be more to explore in a distinct Argentine challenge than in a distinct Central American Challenge.

But that's just my two cents. If most people want it kept like it is, that's cool, we have can give it a try.

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

I'm sitting out most of the country challenges this year and next, as I'm against this 24-zone, two-year system. As such, I'm more of an interested bystander here.

I think I would take part in an Argentine or Brazil challenge, though. Both are countries I would love to delve into cinematically over the course of a specially dedicated month.

[Traveller]

I’m with max on this topic. As for the options, I’m very much indifferent.

[blueboybob]

I say we let the 2year experiment complete then decide next year.

[St. Gloede]

When this topic came up last I was trying to get a few countries set as "permanent challenges", namely France and Japan (with a possibility of others), clearly I lost that vote though, so I say let's stick to the roster.

(In terms of merging South and Central America in favor of Argentina I'm not quite sure. They may have a large amount of films and a "recent" boom, but Brazil is by far the more respected cinema nation. Of course, any challenge focusing on South America or even Latin America are likely to be completely dominated by Brazil, followed by Argentina, so I do see value in it - my general inclination is to keep what won last year however)

[psychotronicbeatnik]

I agree with others that we should table discussion on the country challenges until both years have been run.

[Fergenaprido]

Keeping Central and South America separate as they are now will just force participants to dig deep to seek out the few available films from Central America. Those 7 countries have had more output in the 2010s, so people should be able to find stuff to watch, but I'd imagine it'd be hard for anyone to hit 100 (unless the speak Spanish and don't need subtitles). Guatemala and Costa Rica are probably the two biggest film producers in the region.

Another option is to pair the two biggies, Argentina and Brazil, in one challenge, and have the rest of Central & South America in the other challenge.
Or, have an ABC(C) challenge of the biggest film countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and/or Chile), and then the rest.

Lastly, you could wait and see what the poll schedule for 2021 will look like, and if there will be a specific subregion that will have it's own poll (such as Central Europe), you could combine Central & South America into a single challenge, and use the free spot for the same countries as the poll. I don't know when the poll schedule will be decided, though. I don't think a thread's been started yet.

[hurluberlu]

Another option is to pair the two biggies, Argentina and Brazil, in one challenge, and have the rest of Central & South America in the other challenge.

+1

[Lonewolf2003]

I agree with others that we should table discussion on the country challenges until both years have been run.

Me too.

[sol]

Keeping Central and South America separate as they are now will just force participants to dig deep to seek out the few available films from Central America. Those 7 countries have had more output in the 2010s, so people should be able to find stuff to watch, but I'd imagine it'd be hard for anyone to hit 100 (unless the speak Spanish and don't need subtitles).

Exactly. In the past, the general guideline that I have used when green-lighting challenge ideas is that there has to be at least ~1000 films out there for us to choose from to avoid the situation in which everyone is just watching the same things as one another. I don't know if that's a case with Central America, and when it initially proposed last year that we separate Central America and the Caribbean (the two zones were run together on SCFZ), I didn't realise just how paltry the output of Central America was compared to the Caribbean, which is of course propped up largely by Cuba.

Another option is to pair the two biggies, Argentina and Brazil, in one challenge, and have the rest of Central & South America in the other challenge.

+1

My first thought was that geographically this looks rather odd since you have Uruguay, which is bordered entirely by Brazil, Argentina and the ocean, and which would be included separately, but yes - it makes a lot of sense to me to have a Latin American Challenge (minus the big players), which does indeed put Brazil and Argentina together.

[Fergenaprido]

Another option is to pair the two biggies, Argentina and Brazil, in one challenge, and have the rest of Central & South America in the other challenge.

+1

My first thought was that geographically this looks rather odd since you have Uruguay, which is bordered entirely by Brazil, Argentina and the ocean, and which would be included separately, but yes - it makes a lot of sense to me to have a Latin American Challenge (minus the big players), which does indeed put Brazil and Argentina together.

You can always throw in Uruguay as a bonus. It used to be part of Brazil (albeit for only a few years) and is culturally very connected with Argentina (and I believe they have a number of co-productions).

Mind you it won't be a "Latin American Challenge (minus the big players)" since Latin America includes Cuba, DR, and PR (and sometimes Haiti and the other French Caribbean islands).

[sol]

You can always throw in Uruguay as a bonus. It used to be part of Brazil (albeit for only a few years) and is culturally very connected with Argentina (and I believe they have a number of co-productions).

Mind you it won't be a "Latin American Challenge (minus the big players)" since Latin America includes Cuba, DR, and PR (and sometimes Haiti and the other French Caribbean islands).

That sounds like a great idea, Ferg. I didn't know that about Uruguay's connections to its neighbouring countries. Definitely makes sense to make of a trio of them then. And yeah, the definition of Latin America seems to vary, so the description would indeed need to be more descriptive.

So this is what we are currently looking at:

2020 Lineup - done/pending/in progress	2021 Lineup
Africa Balkans Canada Caribbean China/Hong Kong/Taiwan Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Liechtenstein Iberia (Spain, Portugal and surrounds) India Subcontinent Mexico Nordic countries Russia/USSR Southeast Asia	Argentina/Brazil/Uruguay Benelux Eastern Europe - excluding Russia and Balkans France Iran/Central Asia Italy Japan Korean Peninsula Latin America - excluding Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico & Caribbean Middle East - excluding Iran Oceania UK/Ireland

[Fergenaprido]

And yeah, the definition of Latin America seems to vary, so the description would indeed need to be more descriptive.
So this is what we are currently looking at:
Latin America - excluding Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and the Caribbean

and Mexico

[peeptoad]

looks good to me

[sol]

looks good to me

And yeah, the definition of Latin America seems to vary, so the description would indeed need to be more descriptive.
So this is what we are currently looking at:
Latin America - excluding Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and the Caribbean

and Mexico

Thanks. Will edit and fix.

Also going to copy something from the other thread:

Next week is a regular work week for me so I will not be able to regularly check in and respond to stuff on this thread. If I'm not responding, it doesn't mean that I am ignoring you, just that I have no time in the morning before work, or that I am at work, or that I am sleeping. I'll try to check these threads as regularly as possible.