Them and I

As a future traveller and documentary filmmaker, I am eager to share the cultural lifestyles of other places the way I view them through my camera. I am particularly interested in the stories of women.

When a Solomon Islander nun invited me to spend Christmas in her remote hometown, I had a rare opportunity to film the celebrations, customs and everyday activities of the local people. This three-minute version of Hem and Mi represents my moments of discovery, including the action of turning the viewfinder around so they could see themselves for the first time. These moments were unplanned, but I was interested in participating rather than just observing. I chose to incorporate my own laughter, conversation and footsteps within the film to give the audience my experience of being in the village.

There were many challenges I faced as a one-woman crew within a developing country on my first overseas experience. Some of the struggles I overcame were the language barriers, learning to use the camera, finding my own voice as a filmmaker, unexpected illness and financial constraints.

This first experience has highlighted the connections that can happen through creating and viewing documentaries about our world.