Making of a Documentary
Over the last year, I’ve been developing a personal documentary. Progress has been slow, irregular, with commercial work taking up most of my time. But that work funds this project.
It’s about one woman. A matriarchal figure who crossed oceans to settle, and eventually became a quiet sponsor of an entire generation. The film is part memoir, part genealogical record, made with the future in mind. It took Ken Burns a decade to make The Civil War. I’m hoping I can finish this in less than a quarter of that time.
However, in recent months, it’s become clear that her memory is fading. Rapidly. That realization has pushed me to gather what I can, while I can, and begin weaving the narrative. I’m not certain I’ll finish on time. The audio test is done. I’ve recorded several hours of material. The setup for archival presentation such as an encyclopedia of photos, travel papers and personal records is complete.
The plan was to begin the eye direct interviews in the coming weeks. This week was for lighting and framing tests. She wasn’t in the mood, so I ran them with my wife and sigh... with myself.
Hope isn’t part of this anymore. There’s just the process of the doing and the repetition. I don’t know if I’ll finish. I only know that I’m still working. Because if I stop, then I have to fucking feel it, and I’m not ready for that.