Lucy Walker and Our Impact

As our trip to India approaches, I find myself reflecting on what exactly we plan to do there. It is different from last year because Jordan, Soha, and I have the freedom in many ways to create our own program. However, as the saying goes, with great freedom comes great responsibility. I am met with countless questions, including the worth of our project, what will making a documentary actually accomplish?Almost serendipitously Lucy Walker, a well known documentary film maker came to school this week. She addressed many of my questions including the impact of our project on the children we work with. She told us that initially she was worried about the impact her projects would have on the people she worked with. Would exposure to this type of project end up doing more harm than good? What she found is that actually, her projects do a lot of good, not only because they increase awareness and give people different perspectives, but also because they give people the chance to express themselves. In many cases the people she works with might not get the chance to answer the question, who am I? Hearing this from such an experienced film maker eased some of my uncertainties. There is a lot we still need to figure out, but ultimately, I know my questions are ones that can be answered. Lucy Walker is a great example for us to follow.

--Rachel