A Calvin College communications arts and sciences professor and two students traveled to a Quechua community in Ecuador recently to make a film for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC).
Professor Brian Fuller and students Blake De Young and Drew Barrow shot footage of the people of Illagua, Chico, for “Hope of the Quechua,” a documentary on the impact low-interest loans are having on that mountain village.
Shot over a two-week period, the film is a sensitive portrayal of an emergent Christian community grappling with religious, economic, and human rights issues.
“One of the great challenges of that project is to show the multifaceted nature of the CRWRC’s work,” Fuller said. “I was charged with showing economic development but also development in spiritual formation, women’s rights, racial justice, and agriculture.”
“Hope of the Quechua” shows the residents of Illagua farming, spinning wool, developing a crafts industry, and making cheese. It also shows the community’s leaders talking about the need for education, the role of women, and the struggle with local prejudice.
Blake De Young, a native of Escondido, Calif., who attends Crossroads CRC in San Marcos, said the trip was not only an adventure but a great learning experience.
Both Barrow, who graduated last year, and De Young have used the experience to land other filmmaking jobs.
About the Author
Myrna Anderson is a senior writer in Calvin College’s communications and marketing department.
