This summer, Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Culture Vivian Lin took three Occidental students to Nepal for three weeks through a Faculty-Led Richter project.
The project was a collaboration between 海角社区 and Voices of Women Media (VOW Media) in Nepal to create a participatory video curriculum for Techno Hub, a media literacy initiative for young women from urban Kathmandu. VOW Media is a media rights and literacy organization founded in 2007 to work with communities of women on using media to help share their personal stories in the hopes that the act of telling and sharing can create self-empowerment, healing from trauma, and social change. VOW Media has worked with sex workers, migrant domestic workers, victims of human trafficking, and the undocumented. It is now directing its focus towards issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights, creating media works with the community to raise awareness regarding the risks of early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and other health-related issues due to the disparity in social status of women.
Learn more about Faculty-Led Richter Projects.
Hear from our student participants: Leela Cullity, Reyan Nguy, and Truman Urness
Leela Cullity 鈥24
The opportunity to travel to Nepal as a Richter fellow was an unforgettable experience that allowed me to build on my prior knowledge of gender equity and intersectional justice, and expand my horizons with regard to media literacy and documentary film.
I was brought onto this team because of my background in sexual and reproductive health and rights along with the workshop鈥檚 dedicated focus on expanding the girls鈥 critical thinking skills surrounding the gender-based concerns they face and grapple with. My daily work activities included training the girls on basic camera techniques, storyboarding and brainstorming what stories would feel most important to each of them, and determining which shots felt best to each of them. My work aimed to ensure that each student felt like their story was true to them as they learned some of the key components of filmmaking. I also connected VOW Media with the Family Planning Association of Nepal, an organization dedicated to providing comprehensive sexuality education throughout the country.
My role within the program was intended to dismantle hierarchies, supporting as a peer coordinator rather than as a teacher. Taking downtime to talk about things outside the scope of the workshop allowed for the participants to open up more during the storyboarding and editing phases. The students were able to discuss different topics outside of what they originally pitched, such as what romantic relationships look like for them鈥攈ow they鈥檙e portrayed in the media and discussed at school. Being able to connect with the students on this level contributed to the success of the program, as students鈥 comfort and willingness to be vulnerable throughout the program ensured they could create stories which reflected significant moments in their lives.
What this experience has affirmed for me is that Occidental has accessible professors who are ready to support students as long as they make an effort to reach out. I was a Diplomacy and World Affairs major with a concentration on reproductive health in South Asia. When I heard that Professor Lin co-founded an organization that was dedicated to this concern based in Nepal, I cold-emailed her and all it took was one Zoom call to start this connection. After one semester of demonstrating that I had the ability to learn on the job and assist with media training, as well as provide a connection to a reproductive health organization in Nepal, Professor Lin graciously invited me to join her on this trip.
I am profoundly grateful for this transformative experience as a Richter fellow in Nepal. The opportunity to apply my academic knowledge in a real-world setting, while simultaneously learning new skills and perspectives, has been invaluable. This experience has not only enhanced my professional skills but has also deepened my understanding of global issues and reinforced my commitment to working towards gender equity and social justice. As I move forward in my academic and professional journey, I will carry with me the lessons, connections, and memories from this extraordinary opportunity in Nepal.
Reyan Nguy 鈥27
Going to Nepal has been a life-changing experience. Prior to this summer, I never understood the joy of traveling. But after learning so much in just three weeks, I now count the days until I can fly again.
I had been on the fence about being a Media Arts and Culture (MAC) major, as I wasn鈥檛 sure what I wanted to pursue. I had only taken one MAC class, and though that has inspired me to play around and experiment with a camera on my own, I didn鈥檛 feel like I had enough exposure or knowledge to decide whether or not I want to declare a MAC major. Facilitating a participatory video workshop in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, helped me make that decision.
The workshop was in partnership with Voices of Women (VOW) Media, a feminist nonprofit organization that strives for equal rights and access for all. That includes teaching media techniques to young women. As a facilitator, I presented on and assisted with storyboarding, a process where participants draw out and visualize their camerawork; led camera exercises and audio recording; collaborated with the students on title design; and supported with logging various media files. Throughout this hands-on process, I strengthened my skills and learned more about what it looks like to be in the MAC department while also creating strong bonds with the participants and VOW staff.
As we worked together closely for three weeks, I connected with so many people. Being close in age to the students allowed them to see me more like a peer and a friend than just a teacher. I introduced them to Pictionary and they taught me cultural dances. The staff members took me around to the different areas of Kathmandu, letting me sight-see, accompanying me shopping, and exposing me to the local cuisine. I created so many beautiful memories with them, like making matching bracelets for each other at a cafe. Everyone was so open and welcoming that it felt like I had a community in Nepal from day one.
I鈥檓 so grateful for the opportunity to do research abroad in Nepal as a MAC student. I learned so much about both media skills and Nepali culture. Because of this research trip, I now feel secure in being a MAC major and am inspired to continue down the path of participatory videos and documentary-based media.
Truman Urness 鈥25
Participatory video workshops and education have been a touchstone in my experience with the MAC department and over the past two years working with Professor Lin. In my first year at Occidental, I took Professor Fox鈥檚 course, The Politics and Poetics of Documentary (MAC 241). What it widely engaged with was the idea of democratized and decentralized filmmaking. I remember being struck by this deconstruction of the classical Hollywood power hierarchies, but I often found myself wondering about these concepts鈥 practical applications. This should be attributed to my being a first-year with extremely limited experience in filmmaking, not some shortcoming in the course. It wasn鈥檛 until I had taken Professor Lin鈥檚 MAC 240 production class and subsequently her MAC 250 participatory video seminar that I really felt the dots connecting in my head. The final my partner and I produced in MAC 250 is what I remember to be the most impactful work I鈥檝e done鈥攗ntil now.
These participatory pursuits are what separate Occidental鈥檚 MAC department from any other school鈥檚 film or communications major. Not only does MAC give us space for multidisciplinary production, but it positions us to engage in modes of video production that center community empowerment and advocacy.
In Kathmandu, I found a unique intersection between my education in philosophy and MAC. In my philosophy studies, I鈥檝e found a unique interest in the formation of the classroom and teaching styles. I felt that this was a sort of continuation of PHIL 361, Philosophy and Children, when we worked with local schools to run philosophy-based after-school programs. Because of the unique setup of this participatory program, I got to see the classical power dynamics of the classroom sort of crumble. I came in as an authority鈥攕tudents would show their footage to me instead of each other鈥攂ut by the end of the program cycle, the students had taken full control of their timelines and final cuts. From color grading to sound mixing, it felt really great to stop being asked about my opinion on their work. Approaching things as a facilitator is what allowed this workshop to flourish and produce such impressive results, something that can really only come from the participatory format.
My experience with VOW in Nepal significantly enriched my academic journey in a way that bridged theoretical concepts from my studies with practical, real-world application. The participatory video workshop solidified my understanding of filmmaking, moving from theoretical insights gained in media studies to hands-on problem-solving and creative thinking in a vibrant, intercultural setting. The emphasis on media as a tool for empowerment highlighted the unique approach of the MAC department. This experience underscored the value of integrating experiential learning with formal education, showing how real-world applications can enrich academic insights and foster meaningful personal and professional growth.