Noticing a gap in the creativity offered in the traditional school setting in his community of Tankarpata, Peru, Eduardo Huaynamarca decided he wanted to make a change.
Delaney McCaffrey, ’19, traveled to Peru and documented his journey.
McCaffrey filmed her short documentary, “La Otra Manera,” through her cinematography internship with Actuality Media. The film shows how Huaynamarca’s after-school program CooperarPeru is helping fuel environmental consciousness through art and creativity in an area where pollution is rampant.
“What’s important is that we change the way we teach environmental education by using art and creativity,” Huaynamarca said in the film.
Huaynamarca grew up in a neighborhood where health problems were prevalent. He incorporated teaching personal hygiene into CooperarPeru because the kids aren’t taught those skills at school or at home.
“The kids don’t have a role model to follow at home,” Huaynamarca said in the film. “I think I am doing something I would have wanted someone to do for me.”
McCaffrey said she never realized just how popular the documentary would become. In April, “La Otra Manera” will play at the Ethnografilm festival in Paris, France.
“I’m really excited to go to the film festival,” McCaffrey said. “I still can’t really process it.”
It was also chosen as an official selection at the Show Me Justice and the My Hero International film festivals.
Steven Lichak, a senior media production specialist for LTS, wasn’t surprised McCaffrey’s film was chosen for multiple film festivals. She has been working for him in the Digital Media Studio since her freshman year.
“She’s self-driven and motivated and talented,” Lichak said. “I believe she learned most of her skills here in the Digital Media Studio.”
Getting chosen to play at film festivals doesn’t fully capture the process of making a documentary in just a month, said Robin Canfield, the co-founder and program director at Actuality Media.
McCaffrey spent her first week in Peru meeting everyone in the organization and looking for a story to capture within the partner organization. She spent the following week shaping the story the film crew wanted to share.
Filming took place during the third week, and her last week was dedicated to editing.
“I don’t think people realize how much time it takes to edit,” McCaffrey said. “People can have this idea that films are filmed perfectly, when it’s a lot of work to really put it together.”
No one on the film crew spoke Spanish fluently, which added a layer of complexity when creating the documentary. A volunteer from CooperarPeru helped translate for them and assisted in adding subtitles.
However, McCaffrey said having the film in both Spanish and English helps it reach a broader audience.
As program director, Canfield researches potential change-makers to film.
“We’re looking for anybody with a good idea trying to help people,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are plenty of groups not on the Internet, but the internet is a good first filter for finding people.”
Canfield said he and executive director Aubrie Canfield started Actuality Media because they wanted to focus on teaching and be out in the world filming — two passions that resulted in the creation of their current internship program.
Canfield said Actuality Media staff was present to help the film crew, but his focus on education leaves the crew to make the film how they want with staff checking in and providing feedback.
He said Actuality Media will host internships in Guatemala and Cambodia this year.
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