Film Courage: We had a few questions come in from our Youtube viewers and this one is
from Ms. Green and she writes ‘How have what you’ve seen over time “change”
your view of life and does it ever show up in your filming?
Did you edit it out?
Alexandria Bombach, Documentary Filmmaker: I think the films I’m making are definitely
starting from my experience and a lot of them and how I’m questioning how we are operating
in this human experience at all.
So with FRAME BY FRAME there were just so many questions I was having as a storyteller
about our perception and where that comes from.
I wanted to make a film about Afghan photographers to talk about perception of a place that is
so often this unknown known in a lot of ways.
And with ON HER SHOULDERS I was really interested and this was kind of feeding off of that in
a way where it was continuing telling a story about storytelling and the repetition and
the packaging of stories of trauma and how we’re receiving that as an audience and
our own relationship with apathy and empathy through these stories.
And so I don’t think I would make a film where I had already had the answer.
I already feel very strongly about cigarettes and single use plastics and I don’t think
I’d ever make a film about it because I already know how I feel about it.
I think all of these films are already questions that I’m already asking myself and I think
that’s where that energy comes from and relates to an audience asking themselves questions,
too.
I think that is where is comes from is my own questioning of life and how I’m experiencing
the world.
Film Courage: Where does your love for storytelling come from?
You had gone to study marketing and I can see why you took your love of the environment
and things and wanted to add that to you marketing plan.
Alexandria: Maybe?
Film Courage: But where does your love for storytelling and film come from?
Alexandria: I’ve definitely have loved making video since I was a kid.
I don’t know it’s a hard question to ask where does my love for storytelling come from
because I’m having such a complicated relationship with storytelling even now with ON HER SHOULDERS
and really questioning where we are coming from with storytellers and our responsibility
to our subjects and who is telling what story and why we are telling it and all sorts of
things and so it’s an interesting space to be in now.
I know that I don’t want to stop this work and will continue to make documentaries and
probably die with a camera in my hands but I don’t even know where that comes from.
I have no idea.
I feel like each film that I make is kind of an exploration of things that I’m questioning
about life.
It’s a process of pulling things out of myself and answering hard questions.
So I just love the process of it (I love all of that) and of course it introduces me to
people I would have never had…it’s such an honor to have met Nadia even though I wish
of course I would have never met Nadia.
I wish none of this would have ever happened and that she was just an unknown person in
a village in Sinjar but I am so, so thankful that I got to meet these people and be exposed
to their patience and grace and empathy so I can see the world in a different way.
It’s quite a gift and hopefully that’s translated to the audience too.