Film is a weapon that draws all kinds of people who share different ideas and passions together. I am currently majoring in Film and Economics with a Finance certificate. I yet haven’t figured out what exactly I’d like to do with my major but I assume I’d start my career somewhere within the lines of production. I see the world as several different worlds all supposedly stuck on planet Earth. Being an international student, I’ve noticed that ways of life, mentalities, and the foundation of every country differ so much. I wouldn’t limit it to just country because every city and village all over India feel like different worlds altogether. Moving from one big urban city like Calcutta to a small Himalayan region called Ladakh feels extremely different. People’s live stories really interest me because I’ve met such unique individuals who handle terrible situations in such constructive ways. When I walk into Wawa and look behind the sandwich counter, I see a young 25 year old woman working there but there is a lot more to her than just a woman trying to make her ends meet. In fact, she is Jane who also is suffering from chronic depression and is forcing herself to keep seeing the best in life to not allow her mind to take control of her with its negative deadly thoughts. Who would ever know how much she is suffering behind that sweet smile? Who would know that she is still affected by her mother’s death? I learned this when I tried to shoot an interview of her last year. I learned more after she messaged me on Facebook this year. I enjoy telling stories of others but I would like to get better at it because I still feel there is so much I need to work on. I would like to work on the way I question others about their lives. I think I can initially make people feel comfortable enough to open up to me but there are times when I don’t have the right answer. There is no right answer but there surely is a neutral one. I need to work on being aware of my words and comments as a documentarian.
