Saturday, May 10, 2008

First Steps First

This is my second blog, and shall be focused solely on the creation of my documentary film about the Montagnard people (the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam).

My mentor, Dr. Surry Roberts, has a vested interest in the Montagnards and I have heard him speak passionately about their kindness for many years. He has agreed to help me investigate the history of these people through interviews. Together, we will record this priceless oral history, preserve it for future generations, and hopefully share it with millions of people once the film is completed.

Already, we have identified those whom we wish to speak with and my next step is to schedule the dates for the first interviews. This past week I identified the equipment I wish to use to record these interviews, and the total cost seems reasonable. I was surprised at how little the total cost was, in comparison to what I had anticipated.

Since we began talking about the project, I have been reading the many pieces of material Surry shared with me. Each has helped greatly to shed light on the Montagnards and their history so that I can understand the big picture and speak with each person with greater understanding of their own path. I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to learn more in such a fashion, and often feel like this can't really be possible.

The beginning tends to be the most exciting and terrifying for me in any project, but I am very much looking forward to moving forward immediately.