Producer’s Note
Our journey started nine months before we boarded our plane to Uganda – in September 2007, when my son Brett and I offered to produce a documentary for AAH. As supporters of the organization, we wanted to help AAH extend its reach.
Brett, then a high school junior, had natural talent as a filmmaker. He had built on his impressive skill with the camera and editing software through some coursework and filmmaking programs. He had made several videos each year since elementary school. But he had never undertaken anything of this nature or scope. And I had a marketing and management background but no filmmaking experience.
But we did have a passion for the cause and a strong desire to visit Uganda to film this video. Brett and I set out to produce a professional-quality film to help AAH and the people of Uganda.
We became a mother-and-son filmmaking team, with Brett as the director and me as the producer. We decided upfront to tell the story of AAH through the people in Uganda. We learned about documentary-style storytelling, scriptwriting, production planning, filming requirements in Uganda, and more. We networked with professional filmmakers, who generously shared advice and time. We raised funds to cover our out-of-pocket costs. We researched and purchased high-end consumer equipment – including two lightweight high definition camcorders – that would give us professional-quality results. We learned all we could about AAH. We added a team member – Brett’s classmate, Travis Triggs – to serve as our production assistant in Uganda.
We did what we could before our trip. Working locally and long-distance with AAH, we identified candidate subjects for our film. We drafted a script and a production schedule. We researched options for keeping our equipment dry when caught in the daily downpours of the wet season. We stocked up on batteries for our various devices since we knew our access to electricity would be sporadic and unpredictable. We had been told to expect the unexpected during our three weeks in Uganda, so we devised a backup plan for every aspect of the trip. Even though we knew that filming during the rainy season in a developing country would present challenges and uncertainties, we drafted an aggressive production schedule and hoped for the best.
Things came together beautifully during our time in Uganda. It did rain most days we were there, but we quickly learned that the rain tended to come in the early afternoon, so we did most our filming in the morning. We had luck on our side – and the enthusiastic assistance of many Ugandans. We awoke early to crowing roosters and briskly did our morning routine: headlamp-illuminated trip to the latrine; teeth-brushing in the backyard; cold bucket baths; equipment check; sunscreen and bug repellent application; and antimalarial pill-taking. Many mornings, we left AAH’s guest house before sunrise. We hiked up and down mountains through thick red mud, carrying heavy backpacks laden with equipment, accessories, and raingear. We met with a variety of students at the beginning of our trip and selected those to feature in our video, spent time getting to know them and how they lived, and then started filming. We spent a lot of time at AAH, both in and outside the classrooms. We got to work with the delightful AAH staff and students. We visited area primary schools to understand the contrast to AAH. We visited four families in their mud homes and their fields, learning about their lives.
Each night, we returned to AAH’s guest house as it was getting dark and dined on the starchy local fare – usually some combination of matoke (a steamed green plantain dish), posho (a porridge-like dish made from maize flour and water), potatoes, beans, and g-nuts (Ugandan peanuts). We then worked into the night, cleaning our equipment and planning the next day’s production work. Fortunately, the guest house had electricity during most of our visit, which made things much easier for us as we could see better and charge our batteries.
The work itself was exciting and inspiring. The people we chose to feature in the film are remarkable individuals. We were deeply moved by their circumstances, life perspective, spirit, and warmth. They opened their hearts and homes to us. We formed close bonds with them and found it difficult to leave. There were many more things we wanted to learn and share, and much more time we wanted to spend with these awesome people. Our production work ended, and with it, that part of our journey.
The journey changed in content and flavor upon our return to Arlington, Virginia and continued through our project’s postproduction phase. And it continues still. We remain passionate about the cause, the people, the ongoing journey of AAH, and the opportunity to help make a difference through our film.
Many people helped make this project a success. Please see our Acknowledgements to learn about them.
I’d like to extend a personal thanks to my son Brett, Director and Editor of From One Village. A busy high school student when we volunteered for our journey, Brett took on a very challenging project. He gave it his all during his junior and senior years (while balancing an intensive academic load, college applications, and this project) and the summer between, when we traveled to Uganda. Building on his filming and editing skills, he put his heart and all his free time – and then some – into this. The Ugandans we met loved and respected him, and he brought to the effort his creativity and passion for the cause. My extraordinarily supportive husband Steve and I couldn’t be more proud. As Nabulo Rachel put it, “My dreams weren’t this far.” That Brett and I could work together so closely and effectively as a professional team, learn from one another, grow together, share this transformational experience – and produce this film that can help AAH to the extent we now anticipate — has surpassed my hopes and expectations. As Brett, having graduated from high school, starts on his own path in the world, we are very excited about the opportunities before him.
Brett and I invite you to watch and be moved by this compelling story, and to help. We can work together to make a life-changing difference for many deserving people in Uganda.
Elisa Joseph Anders
Producer, From One Village
September 2009
