For me, the defining experience of my time in Nicaragua was the premier of our student’s film in Limay. Overall, I felt like working with students was where I experienced the most growth and where I felt like I was able to give the most. I was constantly blown away by the talent and dedication of our team of students. I feel extremely lucky to have gotten the chance to work with Julio, Josué, Jonerling and Emmanuel and see them grow more and more confident in their skills as filmmakers. Whether it was luck, or an innate ability to work together as a team, each student seemed to gravitate towards a different role. This is something that I feel is very much a part of Nicaraguan culture. Beyond just placing the group before the individual, it’s seeing the bigger picture and instinctually knowing your strengths to work towards a common goal. I saw this while working at VIMAU and again while carving stone at the Marmolina studio. It was never about one person. It was about working together to create something that was meant to be shared.
Throughout the filmmaking process I saw this passion and dedication to working together and sharing experiences. Whether it was families inviting us into their homes to shoot, or the many citizens of Limay, including la Policía, who spent hours shooting with us, everyone was always eager to contribute. Some of the most passionate performances in the film were given by random people that were pulled off the street, who , without a script and with little direction gave amazing performances and kept going take after take!
On our last night we premiered our student film at a local dance hall. The crowd erupted as soon as the title reading “Limay, Nicaragua” appeared on screen. I could feel not only the pride of our students, but the pride of the entire audience. The response to this film was really overwhelming. This was the first moment where I understood what our presence in Nicaragua meant to the people there.
Throughout the filmmaking process I saw this passion and dedication to working together and sharing experiences. Whether it was families inviting us into their homes to shoot, or the many citizens of Limay, including la Policía, who spent hours shooting with us, everyone was always eager to contribute. Some of the most passionate performances in the film were given by random people that were pulled off the street, who , without a script and with little direction gave amazing performances and kept going take after take!
On our last night we premiered our student film at a local dance hall. The crowd erupted as soon as the title reading “Limay, Nicaragua” appeared on screen. I could feel not only the pride of our students, but the pride of the entire audience. The response to this film was really overwhelming. This was the first moment where I understood what our presence in Nicaragua meant to the people there.
2 comments:
Kristin, Josue has facebooked me that he has been working on his own documentary and is excited to show it to the new 2011 group. You will truly be missed, but only physically. We carry your presence in the continuation of our community partnerships.
So nicely said. Hope this summer is a go!
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