DePaul students highlight immigrant stories through documentary filmmaking [Useful Idiots alert]

DePaul Online ^ | 2/12/2024 | Emily Diaz

[simpson96]

Last week, DePaul film students showcased documentaries they created in collaboration with Chicago non-profits that highlight the immigrant experience in the city in an effort to raise awareness of its complexity.

For some, filmmaking is a creative outlet to address some of the most pressing and important social issues in the city. The documentaries were inspired by the humanitarian crisis that Chicago is experiencing with the recent arrival of more than 30,000 migrants.

Anuradha Rana, a DePaul associate professor of film, guides DePaul students in working with Chicago non-profit organizations as part of her class. The class, called Filming with Change Agents, is a catalyst for students to learn about different socio-political structures and news in Chicago while honing in on their interests in film.

“The idea is that we’re working with people in the community and different organizations on meaningful topics and issues,” Rana said.

This quarter, students worked with Johannes Favi, the deputy director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI), an organization devoted to providing resources for asylum seekers and immigrants in Chicago.

“Documentaries can be an effective medium to showcase a bigger picture to the world,” Favi said. “This quarter, we used short documentaries to encourage viewers to contact their elected officials.”

Julian Trejo Bax, a DePaul senior and film student, said that working with Favi has been fulfilling.

“It was a great experience working with Johannes, and his creative drive to help displaced immigrants through filmmaking was very contagious,” Bax said.

Bax said he identifies as a Mexican immigrant. His connection to his identity helped him understand the importance of acknowledging that no immigrant story is the same. In his documentary, Bax documented the life of a displaced Cuban immigrant named Yoan.

The piece, he said was a meaningful and important experience for him. And the increase in migration in the city drives him to uplift their voices and share their experiences.

“It’s important for DePaul students to be aware of the realities of current issues like immigration,” Bax said. “It is our duty to help those in need.”

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Here's some documentary film that tells a migrant story.

[Skywise]

How to turn your students into little Marxist activists…

[MNJohnnie]

So they have a sad story to tell.

So do a lot of average Americans. The role of Government is to serve the interests of it’s citizens before worrying about everything else wrong in the world

[telescope115]

How to turn your students into little Marxist activists…
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They were doing that 50 years ago when I went to school there. Nothings changed.
It’s supposed to be a Catholic run university. HA!

The fools….