“To conclude, I really appreciate the knowledge I have gained from making a documentary. I think this knowledge is super important for storytelling. It is a skill to be able to take many different clips and put them together to form a story that is engaging. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Storytelling is a powerful method of sharing important information to a large group of people, and a documentary is a popular form of storytelling. Learning in class about how each part of the composition, editing, and overall documentary was an integral part of this successful project was very interesting. One aspect of class I especially appreciate is the group work because I think the collaboration made the final product even better.

This overall documentary experience was rewarding in every way. Through researching the topic of immigration before the interview, I learned a lot about the struggles of this process. I didn’t realize how long it all can take. I am close to a few people who are from different countries, but I haven’t experienced this issue myself. From making the documentary, I enjoyed hearing the first-hand experiences that I was lacking. This made me feel more knowledgeable on the topic. It also made me feel more of a connection to this issue.

Overall, my views on immigration have changed for the better. I feel more informed overall, which I think is extremely important considering its prevalence worldwide. Initially, I didn’t really consider all the struggles that accompany legal immigration. I only thought about illegal immigration in this way. These interviews opened my eyes to some major issues with our country and gave me more compassion for the people who go through this.”