I arrived back in the States fully exhausted, smelly and hungry. I spent approximately 18 hours on a plane and a quick 7 hours in layover but I had a great time with my team reminiscing about all the crazy adventures we had in the past two months. From spending time with the orphans at Rainbow Town to frequent trips to Monrovia. We conjured up all the Liberian English we could think of and laughed until it hurt about all the crazy things we had seen and witnessed. But most of all we stepped on the plane in Monrovia with a feeling of accomplishment because we knew we made a good film.
In the week leading up to our departure, my team and I said our tearful goodbyes to the children at Rainbow Town and headed to Monrovia for a chance meeting with the President of Liberia, Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. We had written a letter asking her for an interview for our documentary knowing it was a small chance. But we wanted to dream big. After a long week of going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asking about our letter, talking to several government officials and a lot of prayer we had an appointment with the President. Friday morning before her day started they arranged for our Shine Foundation documentary team to have 20 minutes with the President. So we all dressed in our African finest attire (there's a strict dress code for the President) and toted our gear up to her mansion at the Ministry. We waited, completely nervous, for our meeting. I had the pre-game gitters thinking about how I was going to introduce myself and how I would take pictures, praying that nothing would go wrong...
And then it happened.
The President walked into the small conference room where we were set up and sat down. We introduced ourselves and told her briefly what we were doing and asked her 5 questions on camera. She was inspiring and powerful in her presence and in her words. We were all marveled at her because she in the first woman president in Africa. From her words you could hear her passion for her people and for the children of Liberia. You could hear her burden for her country and for its future. She was amazing and I can't believe we got to meet and interview her. What a way to end our time in Liberia.
So our filming is complete. We have about 50 hours of tape and 4,000 pictures taken. I know that we have something special in our hands. Now our team moves into post production. It will be a tedious and long journey but an exciting one. We expect for post production to take about a year before we have a final film/product. We're going to take our time and make sure we give it the effort and creative energy it deserves.
It will be an exciting adventure. I can honestly say that I miss my friends at Rainbow Town and my doc team. It's hard to work so closely to so many people and then in an instant be seperated from them all - oceans and states apart. The documentary team ...Lauren, Willie and Katie ...we were a diverse group of different backgrounds, passions and interests but we meshed so well together. One can't help but believe it was something bigger that brought us together. And the Rainbow Town kids ...well, let's just say you will fall in love with them too once the documentary comes out. So be excited because I think we have something really special.
Stay updated throughout the year during post-production on my blog!
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