One question project: Colina van Bemmel

How do you tell difficult stories visually?

Short answer: with care. The most beautiful thing about filmmaking is when people truly let you into their lives, which is something I am very grateful for. Trust is essential in this process. Then you start to get a sense of what drives the person in front of you and not just the outside layer of what is going on. Oftentimes as filmmakers we are excited to jump right in. But reality is very complicated and there is always a story behind the visible story. And that’s the one I am interested in. I like to explore what is hidden beneath the veneer of our daily selves, the masks we all wear in society. I feel that this is where our life force dwells but also the darker parts that are judged and pushed away. Most importantly, I hope that people recognise themselves in that experience as it is something we all have in common. 

It is important to organize elements of a story and think about how to visualize it with integrity. 

Ethically speaking, this is a fine line to walk. As filmmakers, we try to find structure in the lives of others, in order to present it as a story. And I don’t think that’s a very objective role at all. There is so much decision-making behind the scenes and holding the camera means a different position of power. So even in documentaries, I like to make the viewer aware of that, through edit choices as well as when I am directing. Of course, I keep learning every day but I hope that by integrating different approaches, I can paint a complete picture without denying that there is someone behind the scenes alternating reality.

If you want to be part of this project or know someone who would, please go here.

About Colina:

I am a freelance filmmaker and editor from The Netherlands. Having a background in visual arts, I combine an artistic approach with storytelling. Over the years I was editor and screenwriter for many projects, but recently I finished my first documentary ‘Waves Of Burlesque’.

As a filmmaker I want to reach people on an emotional level and share the richness of a world unknown to them. It is not my goal to be pointing fingers but rather to build bridges, as I believe that is of vital importance in our current times.