Major(s): Film Studies, Hispanic Literatures and Cultures
What type of experience did you have over the summer?
I produced an independent project.
What did you work on?
I edited, produced, and directed an intimate short documentary about a refugee’s experience in Sevilla, Spain.
What was a highlight of your experience?
I learned so much about myself, refugee experiences, and filmmaking through this project. I spent a ton of time with Alpha, the protagonist of my documentary. I learned so much about his experiences leaving his home country of Liberia at age thirteen and his inspiring work building a new community in Spain. The highlight of the experience was when he took me to his favorite place in Sevilla: a sunflower field. We filmed a sequence that became the opening sequence of the documentary. (see attached still from film)
How did your summer experience impact you?
The summer experience has greatly impacted me – it has confirmed my desire to work in storytelling and shown me the healing power of listening to and sharing stories with others. It has also demonstrated the impact filmmaking can have on social change, as the rough cuts that I have shown to people have given them new perspectives on refugee experiences and made them more understanding and empathetic to their plights. I’m still editing the documentary, as I have over twenty hours of footage and am hoping the film will be under fifteen minutes. My plan is to show the documentary at various local film festivals throughout Sevilla and Spain, with the goal of building stronger and more supported communities for refugees. I am eternally grateful to the Win 65′ and Lee Chamberlin Grant for providing the opportunity to create this special project, and I strongly believe that in one way or another this film will have a positive impact on the experiences of refugees in Spain.
Still of Alpha in sunflower field, Sevilla, Spain