CHANDI SAMLALL – Multimedia Reporting Fall 2022

I think because of the threat the tribe faces, convincing them to tell their story to an organization such as National Geographic would not be that difficult since they’ll raise the awareness, I’m sure they need. One of the residents even said, “it’s important to record because then you have a weapon.” However, it takes a lot for anyone to stand up to a ruling government but in this case since it’s a matter of their livelihood then I think it’s important to do.
The scene with the loggers cutting the trees and burning it was interesting to me. I wonder how brave the videographer must have been to be running besides fire, putting his life at risk to capture such scenic moments. Capturing the indigenous peoples’ moments of despair, I think was not easy to witness. Hiding in the bushes to get shots of the van driving on the road, and just temporarily residing in the forest is such a huge sacrifice for a story that came out to be phenomenal.
I think getting to shadow the natives during the regular day must have been a challenge at first. While it might be excited for them to see outsiders with lots of cool looking camera equipment, being filmed would create an awareness and maybe influence how one acts since they know they’re being watched, and the world will see them one day. However, the video felt organic and the raw moments sleeping, eating, traveling, etc. is what told the story in a real way.