I did not enter documentary storytelling because I was interested only in cameras or visuals.
I was drawn to documentary because it gave me a language for understanding people, memory, identity, and lived experience.
For me, documentary is not simply a genre. It is a way of listening. A way of paying attention to lives, emotions, silences, and realities that are often ignored or erased. Much of my work exists around communities that have historically been underrepresented, misunderstood, or made invisible, especially women, girls, and marginalized identities. Documentary became a way to hold space for those experiences without flattening them into statistics or simplified narratives.
I think what continues to pull me toward documentary is its emotional honesty. Even within structured storytelling, there is still room for unpredictability, vulnerability, contradiction, and humanity. Those moments matter to me more than perfection.
As both director and cinematographer, I am constantly thinking about how image and emotion work together. I often use observational framing, close visual intimacy, ambient sound, and natural environments because I want the audience to feel emotionally present inside the story rather than simply watching from a distance.
Documentary also allows me to work at the intersection of art and advocacy. I am interested in storytelling that does more than inform. I want stories to create emotional connection, reflection, visibility, and memory. I want people to feel seen inside the work.
Ultimately, documentary filmmaking has become my way of documenting humanity with care.