While creating my 3-minute documentary “Roots of Belonging,” at Muhlenberg College, I drew from class lessons and insights I gained while being a part of our documentary research class. Documentarians serve to uncover the untold stories and shine a spotlight on narratives that may not be fully recognized. By understanding the power of storytelling, I aimed to capture the essence of Eliana’s experience as a junior, transfer, member of the women’s soccer team and international student from Israel.
Through class discussions of work like “Stranger with a Camera” and “Banished,”, I learned the significance of empathy in documentary filmmaking. A deep understanding of the subject’s perspective is imperative for authentic storytelling. My personal connection to Eliana helped me unfold her narrative and allowed me to approach her story with sensitivity, ensuring her voice would be accurately represented.
Challenges arose in the production process as I struggled to balance the fine line of personal storytelling and addressing broader concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. While trying to convey a universal message and maintain a personal touch, the challenges required careful editing and storytelling decisions. I decided to draw on the use of pathos to connect the audience emotionally to Eliana’s experience. Recognizing emotions are a powerful conveying tool, I decided to draw on Eliana’s universal human experience. Her sense of joy, nervousness, and excitement, served as emotional anchors for viewers to empathize with. Documentary making is not just understanding empathy but also about being able to convey it. By emphasizing Eliana’s emotions, the audience can create a bridge between her personal experience and their own emotions. Eliana’s story invites viewers to connect with the human experience of self-discovery and the search for a community that celebrates and appreciates individuality. The use of pathos became a guide for navigating the challenges in production which overall was able to contribute to the overarching themes of belonging within the college campus.
