Story telling through lens

My name is María José Fontalvo, I am nineteen years old and I am from Barranquilla, Colombia. Since I started my university life I was sure what I wanted to do with my future; I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker. I am passionate about knowing new people, knowing new cultures and telling life stories through my lens.
About two years ago I had the opportunity to work as a volunteer in three different countries. I had the opportunity to travel to Italy, Russia and Egypt. At the end of my trip I was completely sure that what I wanted for my life was to make documentaries about cultures and life stories because when you live within a culture you can show who they really are and diminish stereotypes.
When I was on my third year of university I made a documentary in a town called ‘El Salado’. People in this town were victims of violence fifteen years ago (a horrible massacre). My documentary was about how children grow up there after the slaughter. The children expressed their daily routine through short stories and drawings.
One of my dreams is to travel around Colombia making documentaries that show how wonderful my country is. For me, winning this scholarship means a big step toward making one of my dreams come true.
I deeply believe that everyone should work for their country to maintain hope and to do what is right. Colombia is an amazing country and has a great potential, by spreading the truth we can all grow and move forward.