Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - All That We Carry
A Guatemalan woman tries to make a new home for herself in Oakland, California. But can a new beginning erase a painful past?
Interview with Director/Producer Erin Semine Kökdil
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I'm currently based in the Bay Area and prior to moving here, I had been living and working in Guatemala for about four years. When I moved to California, I was interested in getting involved with the local Guatemalan community. I reached out to various organizations, and through contact with a local immigration lawyer, I was introduced to Maricela--the protagonist of All That We Carry. Maricela and I became friends and I learned of her life in Guatemala and in the U.S., of trauma, of resiliency, of courage.
I asked Maricela if she would be interested in collaborating with me in a short documentary film and she readily agreed. Making this film, I wanted to play with our access to Maricela, and how we view her in the beginning of the film versus at the end of the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
All That We Carry is an intimate glimpse into the life of Maricela, an indigenous Maya M’am migrant from Guatemalan, who lives in Oakland, California with her two-month old daughter Abigail. Following her daily routine, the film slowly reveals small pieces of Maricela’s past and all that she carries with her, physically and emotionally, externally and internally.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
A lot of my work tackles very personal stories of trauma and resiliency in a way that is accessible and universal. In All That We Carry, themes of motherhood, loss, courage, and hope are distilled through a day in the life of Maricela and hopefully experienced by the audience in a way that allows them to think in a broader, more collective manner.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love to connect with filmmakers and individuals who are passionate about storytelling. I'm always looking to get my work seen by a larger audience and am hopeful that We Are Moving Stories can help with that.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently working on a short, collaborative documentary with two best friends, both DACA recipients, as they re-imagine what it means to be a teenage girl in the US.
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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All That We Carry
A Guatemalan woman tries to make a new home for herself in Oakland, California. But can a new beginning erase a painful past?
Length: 9 minutes
Director: Erin Semine Kökdil
Producer: Erin Semine Kökdil
About the writer, director and producer:
Erin Semine Kökdil is a storyteller interested in building solidarity and inciting social change through the power of film. Her work deals with issues of trauma, marginalization, and migration and has screened at IDFA, Hot Docs, and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and Spanish from Smith College and is currently pursuing an M.F.A in Documentary Film and Video at Stanford University.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Instagram: @erinsemine
Other: www.eskokdil.com