The Origins of a Documentary Filmmaker
The setting was simple. No lights. No props. Just an old man and a fifteen years old boy facing each other. Sitting across from my first interviewee, I grew silently nervous about the truths I might uncover, but dreaded even more that I might miss crucial elements of his story. “I was seventeen years old when I enlisted against the Russians,” he said. “It was a personal matter for me. My father had been killed in an air raid…” he paused, swallowing loudly, and added with anger “… our family home had suffered a direct hit. All we ever found of him was his right arm.” Unable to grasp the extent of his pain, I was further touched that my grandfather was now willing to share this deep secret with his only grandson. That day, I learned more about the man, the context, the war and its realities than I could have through any book. And yet, if his story had been kept a secret within our small family unit, I wondered how many stories in this world went untold, how many faces had been forgotten, and how many voices fell silent. Despite my newfound understanding, I knew that I could not relate my grandfather’s experience with my words; people had to see him, they had to somehow feel as though they were right there, in my place. At that moment, I developed a secret passion of my own: documentary filmmaking.
An avid consumer of National Geographic, History, and Discover channels, I loved learning about the iguanas’ ecosystem, the dauntless campaigns of Hannibal, and the engineering challenges of the Apollo space program. Through no other means could I interact with biology, history, science – or any topic for that matter – the way documentaries allowed me to. But it was Envoyé Special, a French documentary series, that opened my eyes to the social mission of my professional aspiration. After an undercover report exploring how prostitution in Europe had degenerated into slave-trading, I embraced the need for shedding light on issues that would otherwise go unnoticed, exposing abuse that would otherwise go unpunished, and raising awareness for topics that affected me.
Upon my arrival at Harvard, I had a clear plan: while studying to better my understanding of the issues I would one day relate to the world, I would find a way of producing my own material to acquire the necessary technical skills. As a freshman, I founded Crimson EDITION, Harvard’s first investigative journalism show. Little by little, I learned by doing, producing on my own series of 40 minute-long documentaries on topics ranging from homelessness in Harvard Square to the self-perception of the black-student community. As my editing and production skills improved, the Harvard Alumni Association contracted me to produce a documentary on Senior Week (the last week of college).
Eager to cover international issues, I joined the Harvard Political Review. Contrary to broadcast news, print journalism allowed me to write about the world, without leaving my campus. During the summer prior to my senior year I was fortunate to acquire experience in a professional environment. I interned in the summer of 2008 with Nightline at ABC News, where I gained better understanding of the organizational structure of a daily news show. I logged and transcribed countless hours of footage, using this time as an insight into lighting, framing, and interviewing techniques, building with every passing minute a desire to be the one holding the camera, conducting the interview, and setting the film’s overall direction.
I dream of walking the beat, searching for personal stories hidden amidst the incessant crowds, following a lead out of sheer instinct, and gaining a new perspective on unfamiliar cities around the world. Though I still have much to learn, I eagerly await the challenge. Wherever my journey leads doesn’t matter. And if at the end of the day I must taste bitter defeat, it won’t matter either. At least I will have tried wholeheartedly and for the right reasons. And perhaps, one day, an old man – who fought the Red Army as a boy in the Winter of 1939 – will finally be able to tell his story to the world.
Eric Paternot
