Beyond Good Intentions
What Really Works In International Aid?
The Documentary Film
During
a year of filming Tori visited ten different
countries, interviewed 63 organizations and collected
countless stories about innovative and effective approaches to
international aid. 193 hours of footage
document these remarkable stories. The film is currently in
post-production with an expected release in the fall of 2008.
Film Trailer (Rough Cut)
About the FilmWhere was it filmed?
The filming was part of a year-long journey around the world with visits to ten countries including Colombia, Peru, Argentina, India, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa. Four to seven weeks were spent in each country.
What kind of organizations were interviewed?
The documentary filming covered a wide range of aid organizations, from small non-profits to large multi-national institutions, and everything in between. We filmed individual volunteers, community cooperatives, grassroots initiatives, social entrepreneurs, missionaries, government representatives, relief organizations, micro-credit groups, university students, large donor organizations, and much more. We were seeking out the most innovative and effective approaches to aid, while also giving adequate coverage to the entire range of approaches currently being used. Click HERE for the full list of organizations filmed!
How was the documentary production structured?
Some of the non-profit networks and contacts for each country were established before the journey began with the help of a team of U.S. researchers. However, there was also a significant amount of networking that occurred on the ground after arriving in each country. Often some of the most unique initiatives were found indirectly through in-country conversations and exploration.
Once organizations were identified as being worthy of inclusion in the film, Tori would spend a few days getting to know the organization, the people it was helping, and the approaches being used. Traveling solo for the majority of the trip, Tori carried only a Canon GL2 professional digital video camera, wireless microphones, and a large supply of tapes. Without a full crew, Tori was able to gain access to a large variety of settings without creating too much of a stir. In the field, Tori conducted interviews with both aid workers and beneficiaries, while also collecting a large amount of supplementary footage to visually tell the story of the organization and their work.
What are some of the issues that were focused on in each country?
The primary purpose of the film was to highlight the different approaches to aid work being implemented, irrespective of the specific issues being addressed by the organization. As a result, we captured footage from a wide range of topics. Some of the issues that were covered included education, health, sustainable tourism, disabilities, civic participation, at-risk children, emergency relief, unemployment, environmental conservation, water access, trade, housing, food security, community justice, and HIV/AIDS.
Making the Film
One of the greatest challenges for Tori was learning the technical aspects of filmmaking. She was fortunate to run into several professional documentary filmmakers early on in the journey who were able to show her the ropes. In no time at all she was able to produce high-quality footage to beautifully tell the stories of these exceptional organizations.
Life on the road was a non-stop adventure. Many of the field locations for filming were in remote areas that required a substantial degree of "roughing it" in rather difficult conditions. Luckily her years of experience in Africa and other parts of the developing world prepared her well for challenging sleeping conditions, questionable food options, and sharing space with insects and other random creatures. Tori always looked forward to the opportunities to get "off-the-beaten-path" to uncover inspiring stories of effective aid projects that had not previously been given much attention.
Language is always a major barrier in international travel. Tori did her best to learn the basics of the local languages in each country and enjoyed getting to use bits of her Spanish and French skills in a few places. For most of the countries she had to use translators during filming which worked out surprisingly well.
One of the greatest challenges for Tori was learning the technical aspects of filmmaking. She was fortunate to run into several professional documentary filmmakers early on in the journey who were able to show her the ropes. In no time at all she was able to produce high-quality footage to beautifully tell the stories of these exceptional organizations. Life on the road was a non-stop adventure. Many of the field locations for filming were in remote areas that required a substantial degree of "roughing it" in rather difficult conditions. Luckily her years of experience in Africa and other parts of the developing world prepared her well for challenging sleeping conditions, questionable food options, and sharing space with insects and other random creatures. Tori always looked forward to the opportunities to get "off-the-beaten-path" to uncover inspiring stories of effective aid projects that had not previously been given much attention.
Language is always a major barrier in international travel. Tori did her best to learn the basics of the local languages in each country and enjoyed getting to use bits of her Spanish and French skills in a few places. For most of the countries she had to use translators during filming which worked out surprisingly well.