It was a tough week. I came down with a bad cold, but I was able to finish and get what I need. I shot some L.A. b-roll and I finally interviewed the professor. The Professor was very helpful and very key to my documentary. The professor is definitely going to give my project some credibility. There will be people who are going to know a thing or two about the Salvadoran culture. I even learned a few things from him that I didn't know, but I rather save that for the doc. It was amazing how the professor condensed a whole semester of class into a couple of hours of interview time. The whole process felt like, as if I was in a classroom and he was giving a lecture... That's what pretty much happened. I was very overwhelmed with the knowledge and how much he knew. The interview started from the colonial years to present time. So you'll already know that a lot was said. I am glad that their is a program that teaches about Central America. More importantly, the program is a major. I feel that is huge. The program for me is a demonstration of how far the Central American culture has come. Central American folks were non-existence, until now. Now the population is growing. We have folks from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and Salvadorans making their way in the U.S. I almost feel the program is almost like a reflection of how my project has developed. That is one of the main reason why I wanted to do this doc... because representation of my culture was needed.
Once we were done with the interview and I pressed stop to stop recording, it felt weird. I was weirded out because I was not filming anybody else anymore. I said to myself... am I really done???? Yes, I am. In a way I wanted to continue filming. For awhile the camera was starting to become a part of me. Though, it was a relief that I got done with this part of the process of filming, I will miss filming. I'll probably will need to do some pick-ups, but I will wait to see what I have first in order to make any decisions. I have enough footage to play with, so I am not too worried about it.
It's almost unbelievable that I got this done. After all the drama I went through with this project, I still came on top and got it done! On my way back to the bay, I rode the bus feeling good. I had a chance to breath a little. The down part is that I am feeling so sick right now. Its okay , Ill live. I know I have another mountain to climb, but I am grateful for everything that has happened so far. I feel so blessed and I want to thank god for guiding me into the right direction. I will continue to fight and stay strong. Its not over yet, but for now I am catching up on some sleep and rest because I know I will have a lot editing coming my way! Thank you for all of your support and love.
Junior Gonzalez
The Filmmaker
