As I've grown older, I've developed a great appreciation for documentaries. I also find myself reading more non-fiction, especially memoirs. There's something about passionately exposing the truth that draws me in and keeps me coming back for more.
I have so many ideas for creating my own documentary. In October of 2005, I drove a 16 passenger van complete with one stranger and a bunch of animals, down south to Mississippi to volunteer my time, energy, and passion toward rescuing animals rendered homeless by Hurricane Katrina. While I know that a documentary of sorts is actually in the works, there are so many perspectives one could take. My documentary would give voice to the innocent - those who may otherwise be forgotten. There were countless organizations helping people, but what about the animals? I would hope that by viewing this documentary, the audience would see the value in animal rescue and recognize the importance of the little lives who bring so much joy to their families without even trying. The greater message lies not in the destruction but in the loss and the need for compassionate rebuilding - of families, of community, of a city.
I would interview the owners of animals lost in the storm. I'd ask them questions that will likely evoke an emotional response - about their search, about their pets, about their struggle, about beginning anew, etc. I would have to work diligently to acquire video tape of the hurricane. I would incorporate newspaper articles, personal accounts, pictures, etc. Editing would be key in making this an effective documentary. While I think there would be an outpouring of support and countless victims who want to tell their story to the world, I anticipate the difficulty to fall squarely upon my lack of technical aptitude.
I think it would be truly fascinating to document the life of a Jamaican orphan. After volunteering this past summer, my eyes were opened to some of the serious political injustices that are occurring in the world. It's one thing to know that the world is screwed up and another thing to actually see it. It takes years to complete the adoption process because of the politics involved.
Birth certificates get "lost" and certain individuals take their sweet time, probably waiting for bribe money. Some of these so-called orphans have "parents" who refuse to give up their rights but also refuse to care for their children. As a result, these innocent kids find themselves living in the orphanage until they're deemed old enough to be on their own. Such a longitudinal study would be extremely difficult as it would require years of commitment on the part of the subject, but hopefully it would help expose some of the secrets that keep so many from having a home to call their own.
3 comments:
I really wish I could've been involved in the Katrina animal rescue. That's amazing.
You are absolutely right: there are SERIOUS injustices going on in international adoptions. Costa Rica is another country that I am aware of with MAJOR problems, many of which you mentioned in your post. Costa Rica is actually closing their country for international adoptions soon (January, I think) so that they can "clean-up" their system. For this type of documentary, it would be interesting to interview some of the adoptive parents that have put months--or years--into fighting for the child that was promised to them and then taken away. It would also be interesting to interview people in different phases of the adoption process: potential parents, parents who "got" their kids, parents who are still fighting, employees working in reputable adoption agencies and employees from less reputable agencies.
This is a great topic that definitely needs exposure.
I think adoption in general is a fascinating topic. My aunt and uncle tried for fifteen years to have children but couldn't. They fostered countless kids and even tried to adopt a few of the older ones but were prevented by parents who would not sign over their rights. Finally, in 1986, my aunt and uncle were able to adopt two African American baby boys. And then they promptly got pregnant and had two biological daughters. Five years ago, they adopted two biological sisters who were 7 and 9 years old as well as an 8 year old girl that had been in the same foster home with them their whole lives. In total, they now have seven children-- two of them white, five of them black, five of them girls and two of them boys. They're an amazing family, and they'd be perfect for a documentary on adoption.
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