Dream Come True
MICHAEL MONTESA, MESA, ARIZONA, USA - As a photographer, I always dreamt of working for National Geographic or the Travel Channel. The locations they go to or the exotic places they photograph make every photographer green with envy. But having the opportunity of going to Zambia is going to put me into those locations of those photographers. I have a chance to take those sorts of images. I have never thought in a million years that I would be a photographer who would get to chance to shoot in Africa. Now, I'm going not just to photograph but to be a part of a film crew. I will get the chance to capture a native story and the essence of one of an African nation. HOW COOL IS THAT!?!
A few weeks ago, when The Arizona Republic published an article about the trip, people from the hospital where I work started asking about what it is all about. They knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker and they are happy and excited for me that this lifelong dream of mine is finally getting started.
Some people are curious and wondering if I'm going on a medical mission. In the medical field, when some people hear about a trip to South America or Africa, they often assume that it's for a medical mission. HIV/AIDs, poverty, refugee rescue and those sorts of problems come to mind. Jabbes, the director of the film, is a classmate of mine and a Zambian. Through Jabbes I have learned that Africa is so much more than its problems. This trip is my own personal mission to help the people of Zambia have their voices heard and stories told around the world.
The story that we film and images we make from Zambia will increase and perhaps change the awareness what Zambia is really like. Everything I read and see tells me that the country is so beautiful. For my part, I hope to capture and showcase the whole of Africa (not just the problems) to my fellow classmates at MCC, the residents of Mesa and the citizens of the world who have an interest in understanding and appreciating other cultures.