VILLANOVA, Pa. (CBS) — Forget Hollywood movies and Oscar-winning actors, the next generation of filmmakers are activists. At Villanova University, students have traveled the world to highlight pressing issues through documentaries.
Joe Adams, senior and film producer, is majoring in communications at Villanova. He said his social justice documentary program changed his life.
“We went to Brazil for two weeks in October to shoot a film about cultural preservation,” Adams said.
Associate Professor Hezekiah Lewis leads this two-semester course in which students form a production company to produce documentaries about important social issues.
“I tell my students this is more of an experience than a course,” Lewis said.
This story took students from the streets of Philadelphia to Ghana and Brazil.
“I tried not to let them see these people as subjects. How would you feel if I pointed a camera at you and called you a subject?” Lewis said.
Eighteen students followed community leaders and several others from around the community to tell their stories, which ultimately turned into two 25-minute documentaries.
“Our goal is to never go to these countries, make a film, leave the country, make a documentary and make money from it. That’s never been our goal. We have a sustainable approach. We want to create and build sustainable relationships,” Adams said.
Adams has produced two short films, but fellow senior Trinity Rogers is a first-timer this year.
“I was nervous because there was a language barrier and it was my first time directing. I didn’t expect it to be such a spiritual experience. Once I understood that it was a learning process, I felt even more motivated. I started putting in and working on it,’ and I felt a lot better,” Rodgers said.
Rogers also relied on the support of editor and film photographer Meg Martin. Meg Martin is currently working on her second film.
“Through our images, we hope to show nature, our surroundings, and our connection to it in a slightly different way,” Martin said.
As these students head into their second semester, Lewis said that while this year’s theme of cultural preservation is more than a passing grade, as always, the stories of these collaborators will continue to touch the hearts of millions. He said he hopes he will continue.