Student films documentary on generations and conflict
By Alishba Zarmeen
Junior Wilmer Chavarria has a passion for filmmaking and the technical skills to make that passion work in the world.
After being raised in a family of journalists, Chavarria is beginning to make independent films and assist with professional filmmaking.
Chavarria started his media experiences early in his childhood in Nicaragua, where his family owns a small television and radio company for his hometown.
Through his family Chavarria assisted with producing media. In addition to the technical aspects of filmmaking, he helped with other parts such as speaking and analyzing current affairs.
Last semester Chavarria participated in the New York Arts Program, where he said he received a broad range of opportunities.
“I was expecting them to treat me as a normal intern but I ended up doing very serious work, like editing for them,” he said. “I worked for a company whose movies have been screened in various famous film festivals and I was firsthand editing videos for them which were going to be sent to the clients.”
He added, “I felt like I was doing what I wanted to do. Not necessarily learning new things but putting in practice what I already knew. It was really a good experience and I took great advantage of it.”
Director of Instructional Technology and Media Wes Miller said of Chavarria’s abilities, “It’s the fact that he takes out time to practice his skills that he has mastered them so well.”
Chavarria recognized that his experience and skills in media made Earlham an odd choice for someone with his background, but he said he has more interests than just media.
“It’s more the fact that I already know how to do film and media that I don’t want to go in a classroom and study what I already know and start learning from zero,” he said. “I wanted to go to a place where I could still do all of that and be myself and make myself stronger in something else, such as politics and religion. If I know how to make movies, I want to be able to know what to make them about.”
Last summer Chavarria worked on an independent project which was funded
by President Doug Bennett’s discretionary fund.
Chavarria jokingly said that he stole the idea for the project from senior Eduardo Granizo, who suggested he and Chavarria should make a movie about war and postconflict situations.
The two decided on a project involving Nicaragua and Palestine, but Granizo was unable to obtain transportation for the film, so Chavarria solely took on the responsibility of proposing the project.
Chavarria’s main goal of the project was to record testimonies from the old and new generations in order to observe the differences between each generation’s understanding of conflict.
“I wanted to see and try to understand the young generation who are still going through a conflict between Israel and Palestine,” Chavarria said. “I wanted to compare how different generations understand wars.”
Junior Alma Raymer, peace and global studies major who worked with Chavarria on the film project, said, “The resistance and recent conflicts have changed something so profound in the population that the channelization of that energy and passion in a positive manner is much required.”
Chavarria plans on releasing the documentary this spring. At this point, he is focusing more on quality of the movie rather than the speed of its release.
“My team and I don’t want to rush,” he said. “[We] want to have something which is polished.”
Although Chavarria and his team are unsure about the title of the documentary, Chavarria hinted that since the title of the project was “Keeping the Breath of Peace Alive,” the title of the documentary will likely be along those lines.
Chavarria’s team included Raymer, Indiana University East student Patrick Malloy, former Earlham student Monika Tippie, and Chavarria’s brothers Dino and Pedro Chavarria. Also included were Chavarria’s friends Louis Martinez, who is based in Nicaragua, and Mujahid Sarsur, who contributed much to the Palestinian portion of the film.
Chavarria took this opportunity to thank everyone at Earlham for all the support and trust they gave him.
“My movie is about what we all do as a people and is the product of the whole Earlham community in the joint effort of making peace,” he said.
A preview of the Davis Project can be seen by searching “Breath of Peace” on YouTube.
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