Morocco in the Raw

Other lives have always interested me. Not only do I love the camera, but the thrill of new landscapes and fresh perspectives challenges me to grow as a person as well. What I love most about documentary work is that it allows me to be both filmmaker and audience member; by asking the right questions or finding the unique camera angle, I can shed light on subjects that fill me with a childhood wonder (such as paleontology, in this case). When producing and cutting a video, I want to instill it with this sense of awe I have always had for new cultures, people and ways of life.

Geologist Paddy Howe took me under his wings last year when I came to him with a desire to learn about the beach where Mary Anning hunted for fossils in the early 19th Century. It was an unforgettable weekend, walking with this modern-day Indiana Jones. My parents were teachers, so research has always been fun for me. I hope to use this scholarship as a booster rocket that will propel me further into a field I’m extremely passionate about, documentary filmmaking.