Working Among Neighbors

There are many different cultures represented in Harrisonburg. One of these groups is the Kurdish people of Northern Iraq. The advanced documentary production class of Eastern Mennonite University is currently assembling a documentary on the life of the Kurdish people here in Harrisonburg.

The in-depth documentary covers several different areas of the Kurdish community here in Harrisonburg. The class is divided into three different groups that each have a producer, videographer, photographer, and interviewer. The different sections are busily making house visits, conducting hours of interviews, going to mosque, attending Kurdish celebrations, contacting the FBI, and being a part of the Kurdish culture here in Harrisonburg. Each group has been assigned at least two families that have been willing to work at a high level of interaction to gain a better idea of the struggles, joys, and every day life for these people.

Josiah Garber is heading up the overall photography for the documentary and commented on the task of making it all come together. He said, "It's a ton of work. The weekends seem to be filled with videoing, taking pictures, and interacting in a variety of different ways with the different families. They have been so inviting, fun, and welcoming to interact with. I'm learning so much about their struggles, the religion of Islam, and how they have adjusted here in Harrisonburg."

Although there are many different angles approached when making the documentary the class is still reviewing the laborious task of compiling hours of footage from the different events that include: personal interviews with Kurdish adults and there families, Kurdish celebrations, mosques, and a several interactions where some Kurdish families were interrogated by the FBI. Director Frank Ameka said, "We're still trying to capture all of the footage and once we have it organized and a general idea of what the different families have experienced we can then begin to focus the documentary in a more specific direction."

Jerry Holsopple and Steven David Johnson are the professors for the documentary class and have said that the beauty of documentary work is that you never know what you're going to end up with, but it's also the beast.

Although there is plenty of work to be accomplished, the documentarians are steadily working towards producing a reflective film that encompasses the Kurdish community to its fullest. Heather Nyce said, "At times it's really tough because each family has a different story and yet in a way the stories are very much the same, and to make those come together in a manner in which the viewer can walk away with something unique is a challenge."