In the realm of visual storytelling, the documentaries of 费尔南多·拉米雷斯,1982年 和 Baktash Ahadi, 05 收敛, 生动地描绘了战争时期的人类经历,突出了人民及其故事的变革力量. 个人, hailing from immigrant backgrounds 和 armed with a profound sense of purpose, 是由一个共同的目标驱动的:通过放大边缘化群体的声音来影响世界的积极变化.
拉米雷斯创作了《浩博体育app网站》,讲述流离失所的乌克兰难民,重点讲述他们的勇气和韧性,而不是关于战争恐怖的统计数据. 对阿哈迪, 《浩博体育app网站》的焦点是个人的:记录我们国家从阿富汗战争中撤军的后果, 他的祖国. While the contexts of the wars in Ukraine 和 Afghanistan may differ, 两部纪录片都揭示了冲突对个人和社区的深远影响. 在阿富汗,数十年的战争给其人民留下了持久的创伤和流离失所. 类似的, the invasion of Ukraine has thrust millions into uncertainty, forcing families to flee their homes 和 navigate the complexities that brings. Through intimate storytelling 和 firsth和 accounts, 两部纪录片都旨在将受战争影响的人的经历人性化,突出勇气的普遍主题, compassion 和 unwavering 的决心 amidst adversity — 和 inspire social change.
追求社会影响
费尔南多·拉米雷斯,1982年 在环境领域工作了30多年,特别是在能源效率方面. He leveraged his business degree to build social impact companies, including numerous entrepreneurial ventures in sustainable energy 和 water access. In 2021, 他创立了桥梁2030, 这是一个非营利性非政府组织,致力于特别支持两个群体:被迫流离失所的社区和下一代变革者.
“I believe that our passions are shaped by personal experience. My own family has an immigrant journey; we arrived in the U.S. 1970年从哥伦比亚搬来,所以我能体会到搬到异国他乡的艰辛。. “The significant difference is that my family had a choice, but over 110 million forcibly displaced people all over the world do not. “桥梁2030”是我支持和扩大被迫逃离的人们的声音的方式.”
The organization’s efforts include creating jobs in the solar industry, bridging the digital divide, 和 providing direct aid to Ukrainian refugees in Philadelphia; each of these aligns with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 另外, 纪录片《浩博体育app网站》是“桥梁2030”首次涉足电影开发领域,但可能不会是最后一次.
Bridging Divides, Building Empathy
Ramirez is a lifelong documentary fan, 并指出安东尼·波登(Anthony Bourdain)是他将艺术叙事和文化参与结合在一起的能力背后的灵感来源. 《浩博体育app网站》关注的是俄罗斯从2022年2月开始全面入侵乌克兰对人类的影响, 和 aims to amplify the voices of Ukrainian families forcibly displaced from their home.
“Mainstream media is focused on providing statistics about every global crisis, so the atrocities of this invasion have been well documented. We felt there was another story that needed to be told: courage, 的决心, 和 resiliency by the Ukrainian people, as well as the support of the Polish people who have embraced over 1.7 million Ukrainian citizens arriving in Po土地,他说. “We are sharing the perspective of the human spirit, 的决心 for survival 和 freedom, 和 the people supporting 和 protecting human dignity.”
Ramirez sees younger generations as partners in this mission, 在他的工作中,是什么让年轻人能够在目标和同情心的基础上建立自己的生活和事业.
“To ensure our mission outlives us 和 our impact multiplies, we must empower 和 mobilize the next generation. I know that many young people suffer from compassion fatigue; we’re carrying phones around with us that are constantly updating us with news around the world 和 there’s always another crisis,他说. “But I do believe that we have a sense of responsibility in this country. 让我们明确一点:与发展中国家每天为满足基本需求而挣扎的许多人相比,我们过着优越的生活.”
Compassionate Engagement, Cultural Underst和ing
No matter what purpose someone pursues, 拉米雷斯强调,每个人都应该培养整理网上不准确信息的技能, research the history behind a crisis, 和 communicate effectively across cultures. 他希望浩博体育app的“全球机会”项目能在这些方面有所贡献——尤其是如果学生们愿意忍受一点不舒服的话.
“我鼓励学生们拓宽自己的文化视野,让自己成为一个旅行者,而不是一个游客. Do some research before you travel, visit places with significant cultural value, meet students from other countries rather than staying within a U.S.-centric friend group,他说. “Being out of your element helps you learn so much. 逃避不舒服很容易,但我鼓励人们接受它.”
When Ramirez looks back at the path he’s taken, he feels a deep sense of gratitude for every experience.
“My life has been an internship that brought me to where I am today,他说. “All of the lessons that I’ve learned, all of the people that I’ve met, all of the travel that I’ve done, 和 the unconditional support from my family. T hat’s why I am where I am today.”
讲故事的遗产
Within moments of speaking with Baktash Ahadi, 05, it’s abundantly clear that he’s a storyteller. 他说话是故意的, visibly conscious of the weight of each word, 和 self-corrects as he shares, 强调他自己的生活经历和他有幸听到的那些作为他跨文化工作的一部分. This remarkable presence is hard-earned – 和 over 30 years in the making.
“When I was a kid, I was deeply shy. I didn’t speak until about the age of 10,阿哈迪说。. “I didn’t know that I had a voice, that I had to believe in myself first, before the world would believe in me.”
Considering his professional résumé, this history may be hard to believe. Since studying sociology at Susquehanna, Ahadi’s served two years in the Peace Corps in Mozambique, 非洲, 回到他的祖国阿富汗,花了三年时间从事战斗口译和文化咨询工作. 他创建并主持了“转型的故事”播客,并创立了Taleem项目, subsequently producing 和 translating numerous renowned documentaries, 包括逆行, 它捕捉了美国在阿富汗战争的最后九个月,并为阿哈迪赢得了三项2023年艾美奖.
Shy Beginnings to Global Impact
这种对电影制作的执着可以追溯到1986年阿哈迪来到美国. Not long after he was born in Kabul, 他的家人逃离阿富汗,在巴基斯坦难民营度过了数年,后来获得庇护,搬到了卡莱尔, 宾西法尼亚. 支持他家人到来的社区成员向年轻的阿哈迪介绍了许多电影.
“Our sponsors would turn on their television 和 play movies for us: Star Wars, E.T.印第安纳·琼斯. I didn’t know any English, 但你不需要懂英语就能明白,你是在一个不同的世界里旅行,阿哈迪说。. “That is why I do this work. Films are a physical, emotional journey to another world. And when films touch us, they stay with us forever.”
视觉叙事是他讲述弱势群体故事的主要手段, Ahadi sees all forms of storytelling as opportunities to deeply engage with others 和, 结果是, 扩大文化素养.
“Stories get to the crux of what it means to be human. 这确实需要对你面前的人有一种强烈的好奇心,才能摘下面具,展示真实的自己,他说. “但我认为,对一个人来说,没有比到遥远的地方去更好的教育了, sitting amongst people who have completely different lived experiences from you, 和 hearing what they think about family, 暴力, 民族国家, 环境, sports 和 their relationship to all of these things.”
Fulfillment Through Purpose
今天, Ahadi is busy directing two f ilms, one of which focuses on combat veterans, mental health 和 equine therapy. Across all of his projects, he continues to rely on the same self-awareness, 沟通技巧和强烈的感激之情,促成了他迄今为止的成就.
“Success is often defined by what society tells you is worthy. 但另一方面,满足感实际上是过着你想要的生活。. “Many of us look externally for answers 和 we are told that success is a status, 工资, 房子, 土地, 无论. 但我意识到,我一直在寻找的很多答案其实就在我的内心, 在我的灵感中, 缺陷, 动机和羞耻.”
Like so many Susquehanna alumni, Ahadi继续支持其他人,尤其是那些有兴趣讲述自己故事的人, 是否在电影中, 领导或商业. 他希望自己的工作能帮助其他人在追求自我实现时更有勇气.
“当我和那些损失惨重的人交谈时,他们并没有要求获得去美国的护照. They’re not asking for a million dollars. They’re mostly asking to be heard,他说.
与......联系 Baktash Ahadi, 05 through LinkedIn.
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