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by Allan Appel | Dec 14, 2006 2:08 pm

(13) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Arts

During this season of storytelling you’d be hard put to hear more moving tales than the ten told by these remarkable New Haven high school students. They riveted an audience of 75 at the Courtland Wilson Branch Library in the Hill Thursday night with their mini-documentaries of under five minutes each.

The students are part of the Digital Storytelling project sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven (CFGNH) and the Hill Neighborhood Forum.

Although these were paid skills-building internships, in which the kids learned all aspects of video from scripting to post production, and were funded by stipends from CFGNH, they were very much labors of love as well.

For example, Nicole Smith’s (center) documentary “A Letter With No Destination,” showed a montage of the very few photographs of her father that she possessed, since he died before she was born. Smith, a sophomore at Wilbur Cross, spoke in haunting over-voice: “Dear Daddy, I love you even though I’ve never met you. I cry every father’s day because I have no one to celebrate with. I get mad at others who are angry with their fathers. They don’t know what it feels like not to have one. How I wanted you to be my escort to the 8th grade prom. I think of you so often. Please be my shield. I’ll always love you.”

In “Then My Life Changed,” David Romero (at right in photo) began his documentary with these words over the photograph of a stunning young woman in green dress: “This is my mom,” he says. “She’s sixteen years old and, believe it or not, she’s eight months pregnant with me.” Romero’s film then shifts to the birth of his brother, whose skin is much lighter than his own, has freckles, and red hair, prompting Romero to ask his mom where this new arrival came from. The film has a happy ending, with the brothers getting along famously and sharing a room and secrets.

And Rahkiya Davis’s (left in photo) shows some bleak scenes of the Hill neighborhood and asks, “Why do people become like this? So poor. So many homeless people. It isn’t right. If it’s cold outside, I’d give someone my coat.” Davis, a freshman at Eli Whitney High School, practices what she preaches. She volunteers at shelters, and donates all her old clothing to the poor.

The project director was Magalis Martinez, an accomplished teacher and digital media producer whose book and movie (both titled Bastards of the Party), on the warfare between the Crips and Bloods gangs in Los Angeles, are both forthcoming.

“These kids are remarkable,” she said after the films were screened. “I’ve worked in Hollywood for ten years with some very tough, no-nonsense bosses, and I was tough with the kids. They learned great skills. Some are going to pursue it as a career. It just goes to show if we give kids the resources, they can all rise to compete in college and out in the world. We need many more programs like this.”

Anna Arroyo, a senior philanthropic officer with the CFGNH, explained that the workshop grew out of meetings of the Hill Neighborhood Forum back in 2005, in which skills-building, community-enriching, and paid opportunities for young people emerged as a preeminent need. A related project was also launched at that time, the “mapping” of the Hill through extensive interviews (using laptops) with more than a hundred young people (ages 12 to 21) asking them what they think of the Hill and what they need that’s not there. Keshon Earl (shown standing with Arroyo) worked on the mapping as well as produced a movie in the workshop.

“In 2005,” she said, “we heard from people that they felt isolated here, cut off, and the digital storytelling, which the young people are now going to teach to the adults, is improving the quality of life here and helping to restore and redeem local pride.”

The responses, in the question and answer period, certainly bore this out. Several fatherless women in the audience complimented Nicole Smith on her courage. Another questioner asked Rodney Atkins, a Hillhouse senior, the meaning of the gripping image of crackling fire that opened and was a visual theme of his movie, “The Epic.”

“My parents were always fighting,” he explained, with the self-possessed candor that characterized all the young moviemakers. “I’m angry, I need to express myself. They put the fire in me, I guess.” Atkins, who hopes to study technology at the University of Southern California, was removed from his natural parents when he was very young and has been raised in New Haven by a grandmother he adores. His parents have not seen the film yet.

And when they do? “Look,” he said. “You can’t erase the past, I need to create my identity, and this is a big part of it.”

The ten stories will be available soon in streaming video on the website of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven (cfgnh.org). Five to seven high schoolers (freshmen to seniors) will replace the graduating seniors as the workshop moves, in 2007, into its second year. Those interested should email Martinez at this address.

Comments

posted by: Joel on December 14, 2006 5:25pm

The digital story David made “Then My Life Changed” was very touching not not only because he based his story on our relationship but because we never really opened up to each other like that. he wanted to make our relationship a public statement to show how much he cares.
Joel Suarez

posted by: Joel on December 14, 2006 5:26pm

posted by: rahkiyaDavis on December 14, 2006 5:36pm

As a 15 year old, from the Hill, creating a Digital Story was a good experience. Our screning came out really nice and it felt good to watch my own mini movie. Watching my peers felt good by seeing what they worked on for 6 weeks straight. If i had the chance i would do it all over again. Even though this was my first time creating a Digital Story I felt that I could have done a better job if I had more time in the media lab working on the mac computers.

I think if we would of had our own media lab, Iwould of been able to do even better better by.

I enjoyed myself and I wish to do it again in the future. Also i want to give thanks to the people that helped us, also the ones that came out to watch our Digital Stories and supported the young kids of the Hill.

Rahkiya Davis

posted by: nicole on December 14, 2006 5:37pm

hello, this is nicole smith. I’m the writer of ,A LETTER WITH NO DESTINATION. I still can’t believe I told my personal business in front of every one. I got put on the spot, and that is somthing i’m not used to, but I felt good. I’m happy because I got to exprece myself in a way I never did before.

I’m really looking forward to working with this as a future career. I want to learn how to do more advanced things, but I’m going to need more technology and training for that. I want to make sure that my dreams come true.
- Nicky

posted by: nicole on December 14, 2006 5:37pm

posted by: David on December 14, 2006 5:39pm

I hope everyone who attended the presentation had a great time, and enjoyed my digital story as well as everybody else’s. I really loved the IMAC computers that we used, they were a real key to our Digital Stories success, and I would love to have one of them so I can make my next story better yet.

David

posted by: Keshon Earl on December 14, 2006 5:42pm

Yesterday was a great night for me because I got to show a 2-3 minute digi story that I worked on for six weeks at Hillhouse High school. My story is about someone I really care about - my little brother - and it got me to show another side that I never showed before or that anyboby has seen. This story has showed him and me how much I really love him.

posted by: Dennis on December 14, 2006 5:49pm

Last night was a great experience - I believe that I can speak for all of us when I say that. We took charge and ran the show. Some claimed to be nervous but their actions showed that they really had nothing to worry about. It was good, fun and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Dennis

posted by: Geraldine Robinson, 17 of Hillhouse High School an on December 14, 2006 5:57pm

I must say we the youth are so talented. Even with the limited supplies that we are so gracious for, imagine what we could do with the supplies that we really need like Mac Laptops, Video ipods, our own media lab, and Mac books.

We took the community by storm Thursday, December 13, 2006 and with the supplies we need we will be ready to amaze the world. Those who did not attend last night really missed the treat of their lives. This was a chance for people to really get familiar with us and our work. The screening turned out beautifully and I enjoyed seeing the work of my digital storytelling “family”. This “family” is my creative motivation and they are the ones who enable me to believe that we are great and we can do anything and go anywhere. I do encourage anyone who has never experienced such a phenomonal opportunity to participate in such an event.

Geraldine Robinson author of TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL(digital story), Hill Digital Storyteller

posted by: Valerie Rodriguez on December 14, 2006 6:20pm

It’s Valerie, I was the one who made the digital story “Mami” which was about my mother and how much she means to me.
My experence with making this movie was cool because when I went to the first workshop I didn’t think it would be easy but in the end it was worth having something hard to do because at the presention when my movie was shown I thought no one would like it but I found out that everyone loved it.

I believe that I can do this type of work for the rest of my life because of all the people who came up to me and told me how good my movie was. I loved that people actually enjoyed my movie. It was the first time that I ever heard someone say something to me that made me feel like I can do it all. But in order for me to do it all I’ll need the equitment. I think that if I can get that I would go all the way to HOLLYWOOD and for sure you will see my name in lights one day one night.

I am Valerie and I am a person that believes in the future and I believe I see me doing all kinds of digital stories.

I want to thank all the people who came to see our presention and I want I thank you for coming to the web site to see us the 10 kids who live in the Hill.

posted by: Savana Vagueiro on December 16, 2006 11:35am

Hey everyone!! I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your big night, Elliott and I were very upset that we couldn’t attend. I was so impressed with the quality of work I saw last time I saw you all, I can only imagine how impressive your final projects turned out! Hope to see all of you soon!

posted by: Barb on December 18, 2006 12:45pm

Hi, I am an avid advocate for “kids” and I wish I had known about your presentation. I would not have missed it for the world. You are the experts on what has gone wrong in your lives and what you (and I)need to do to correct it. I recognize that our children are not badd and that they are trying to navigate through the many systems that have overshadowed their lives, and many are not able to do so without becoming a part of the criminal justice system. When the only time our children are recognized is when they enter the criminal justice system it is a failure on the part of those who don’t listen and don’t want to listen to our children. Congrats on your success!!!!I believe in your ability to succeed. Keep up the good work. Maybe one day all funders will see the need to reallocate funding from the criminal justice system into prevention and resources for our children and their future. Barb

posted by: Loribeth Rodriguez on December 19, 2006 5:28pm

HI every one i just wanted you all to know that you you did a great job with your presentation on December 13 you guys were great and i hope you keep on on this project all of you guys. good luck in the future

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