Yesterday afternoon I spoke with a group of Meredith College students taking Alisa Johnson's intro to film course. It is always a pleasure to visit with students, especially at my alma mater. It felt good to be on campus again.
We spoke about things specific to Abandoned Allies and challenges faced while making it. The students asked great questions about how a film is made, lessons learned along the way, and the film industry. I was so happy to speak with them and hear about what their experiences.
Side note: speaking with a class is an interesting thing. You're in front of a group that doesn't know you, but hopes you'll have something interesting to share. Knowledge to impart doesn't really matter, just don't be boring for the next hour, you know? Because it's a forced captive audience--not one that showed up by choice. I feel like people can see through your bullshit quickly, too, so it's best to just be yourself. The least I can do, I feel, is be genuine and honest. So that's what I tried to do. I tried to be honest. I tried to be myself. I tried to share what I know and, hopefully, make it relevant to what they want/need to hear. It's a tough thing to do.
The good news, for those students, is that they can come see Abandoned Allies next semester. They can come hear the real stars speak about their experiences in Vietnam and here in the States. They don't have to listen to me ramble on and laugh at myself. They can hear what these guys have to say--which, I feel, is infinitely more interesting than anything I could share with them.
They seemed like an incredibly kind and smart crowd. Not too surprising since Meredith College educates women to excel. What a great group of women. I felt like I was home, even just for a little while.
Huge thanks to Alisa Johnson and her students for the visit yesterday. It was tons of fun. Thanks, too, to Hilary Allen for the introduction to Alisa. I am grateful to all of these women for their time.
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