Collaboration, Creativity, & Sisterhood

June was the highlight of my quarantine because it promised, in its thirty days, the opportunity for collaboration, creativity, and sisterhood. I have always considered myself an introvert, so I did not realize how much I missed interacting with other girls, who shared a similar spark and drive about film as me. Our weekly Zoom meetings became a recurrent highlight, and even though I was very shy in my contributions, I eagerly soaked in these communions in secret. In my only experience in the camp two summers ago, I was thrilled to work alongside my peers in creating and developing a film as their insight was instantaneously available to act on. Our projects were obviously more individualized this year, but I appreciated the common thread that connected the films in each group together. Because of this independent focus, I began to doubt my abilities to film without the watchful eye and expertise of a counselor. Therefore, the instructional videos and Zoom communication were valuable in providing the information necessary to navigate this newfound learning curve when filming. The lack of quality equipment enabled me to devise creative solutions to difficult camera angles and hone my limited directorial skills when instructing my mom on my iPhone capabilities and how to frame shots. These independent ventures encouraged me to trust my vision, and more thoughtfully piece together the story I wanted to tell. Despite the valuable lessons I gained from those assignments, my favorite task was conducting our interview. It was refreshing to talk about something other than COVID, about a hobby and camp that we enjoy and revel in. I anxiously anticipate the time when these conversations can naturally spring from a distance of less than six feet apart or the undefined expanse between computer screens.

- Maya (age 16)