August activity report: Preparing for interviews and filmmaking in the village

In August, we worked with a filmmaking collaborator to prepare for interviews in Otoineppu in September.

Our discussions extended beyond the content of a finished film. We considered how to get to know people in the village and build relationships in which to listen, what to ask, and how to document their experiences. We discussed the steps leading up to the interviews.

Learning about a place involves listening to the experiences of those who live there, as well as reading statistics and public documents from the administration and council. How are events described in documents understood in everyday life? We hope to explore this context through interviews.

Before rushing to make a film, we want to establish relationships in which people can share their experiences. Then we can consider whom to share the resulting records with and how. We kept this sequence in mind as we prepared for our work in September.