Livestream: Alex's Together Well Story
When youth minister, Alejandro "Alex" Bautista, suggested livestreaming services at the beginning of the pandemic there was some hesitation by church leaders. It was complicated and they didn't have all the technology. But that didn't deter Alex. "You say yes," he said, "and I'll take care of everything."
Interview with Editor/Director/Producer Elaine Waller Uchison
Watch Alex's Together Well Story here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic my team and I thought that it was important to capture the stories of people in our community and provide a space for people to share their experiences and hear the experiences of others. Our big goal was to provide a tapestry of lived experiences that could lead to a more human-centered and broad understanding of health, healthcare and well-being.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Alex is a fascinating and inspiring person! He is dedicated to his community and used his creativity and technological skills to provide a warm and welcoming virtual space for people who had been cut off from their church services for months.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Connection is an obvious theme in this film. We wanted to play with the idea of connection as something that happens in person in a setting like a church, but also a technical solution to a unique pandemic problem. And while the solution worked well for some of the parishioners, it didn't work as well for the Hispanic members of the church. Technology is a great and useful tool, especially during times like a pandemic, but it can't replace the real connection that happens in person and in shared community spaces.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Initially, we planned on incorporating Alex's work as a youth minster into the film but we decided to focus on the livestream system he voluntarily set up for his church. Alex's story is part of a broader collection of stories about the COVID-19 pandemic so this focus made the most sense.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've received positive feedback from Alex and others at his church. We've also received positive feedback about this film on our social media accounts.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We haven't received a lot of feedback since our story project is very locally focused and we are still building a social media presence. All of the feedback so far has been positive but limited.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are hoping to share Alex's story, and the entire Together Well collection of stories, more broadly to increase reach and interest in the work we're doing. We are also hoping to meet potential future partners and collaborators.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Ideally, we would like to reach film festival directors, journalists and possibly distributors who are interested in amplifying our work.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Much of what we see and hear about people's pandemic experience is negative, but it's also been a period of great innovation and intentional connection for individuals and communities. We want to highlight some of those positive experiences that have come from this challenging period as well.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we connect with people and the way we think about community?
Would you like to add anything else?
We had very limited resources for this project and faced challenges filming during the pandemic. We were a crew of two - myself and my intern, Alli Weseman. We're proud of what we were able to accomplish with this film and our broader story collection, and we're also very aware of what more resources would allow us to do.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are currently working on a collection of short films about racial justice and equity in healthcare with a focus on marginalized communities and individuals.
Interview: April 2022
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
Livestream: Alex's Together Well Story
Length:
4:54
Director/Producer
ELAINE WALLER UCHISON is a graduate of University of Oregon's Multimedia Journalism Master's Program and leads the RELATE Lab's multimedia team at Oregon Health & Science University. Alli Weseman is a current student at University of Oregon's Multimedia Journalism Master's Program and a RELATE Lab intern.
Looking for:
film festival directors, distributors
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/relatelabpdx
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RELATELabPDX/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/relatelabpdx/
Hashtags used:
#togetherwell #pandemic #covid_19 #livestreaming #innovation #connection #community #support #latino #latinx #immigrant
More info: