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Reflection Papers

Programa de intercambio entre la
Escuela de Comunicaciones de Loyola Chicago, Estados Unidos,
y la Escuela de Periodismo de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado



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Chile Short Term Study Abroad Reflection Paper
Joey Filer

When I first returned from the Chile Short Term Study Abroad, I did not want to
just write a reflection paper, I felt as though my experiences were worthy of an entire script
or short semi-nonfiction novel. Over a month later, following endless late nights of editing,
it now feels strenuous to even put together a five-page paper. However, certain things
cannot be overlooked, and my basic ideas about the trip have not faded as of yet.
Technically, we filmed in Santiago for only two weeks, but because it was so intensive, it
felt like an era all in of itself. Each of us had the opportunity to choose a socially
significant topic of our own, but I decided to work on the group film about wild dogs
because I was concerned about my bad back. Admittedly, before entering Chile, the idea of
filming the wild dog crisis was intimidating and in certain ways, even scary. Surprisingly,
aside from a few moments, I felt much safer traveling throughout Santiago than I do
walking through Rogers Park at night. I loved being immersed in a culture that spoke a
foreign language, and to my surprise I could speak a great deal more Spanish than I had
believed. In my opinion, we had excellent educational advice and support throughout the
trip. At the same time, there was no limit to individual intuition and exploration. As an
upper class film major, it was ideal, and overall, what I think I gained most was confidence.
Throughout the trip, I became more and more confident, not only in who I am and my
abilities, but my choices in the academic world.
Many classes are very specific and often limiting in order to train us in specific
skills. However, this class allowed me to use all of my acquired skills without any limit.
Instead of having to squeeze in hours of filming along with work and other classes, we had
two full weeks to dedicate to film without distractions. Our topics, choices, and film styles
were almost entirely up to us. I spent many days filming alone or with one other person. It
was our responsibility to make contacts. This may have been terrifying in a foreign
country, but because we were all paired up with Chilean producers from Universidad
Alberto Hurtado, I always felt safe (even safer than Chicago) and had a great deal of
support. Looking back to my first semester sophomore year Documentary class, I
remember how intimidating it was simply calling Chicagoans on the phone, asking if I
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could interview and film them. By the end of the Study Abroad, contacting, filming, and
communicating with strangers from even a foreign country was second nature.
In terms of truly studying abroad, I could not have had a better experience. Since
I was acting as a journalist documentary filmmaker, I became entirely emerged in the
culture... far, far beyond the normal tourist or even study-abroad programs. I think the
biggest weakness of many study abroad programs is that the Americans stick together the
entire time and never get close to any one from the countries they visit. Each of us had
long hours of one-on-one time with Chileans. I made lasting and powerful relationships
with people from Santiago, and that may have been the most enlightening part of the whole
experience. We would all work our tails off filming during the day, but because all the
Chilean producers (journalist students from Universidad Alberto Hurtado) were friends, at
night everyone would hang out and/or go out together.
Especially as a History Major (I am a double major), the trip was extremely
enlightening. I had just learned about Chile in my History of European Communism class
with an excellent professor, Marek Suszko. We had only slightly brushed over Chile's
history and I hardly gave it a second thought. Being there I learned and witnessed all the
intricacies of the country's politics, people, and history. Having been my first time out of
North America, this taught me that everything we ever learn in school has a deep depth in
reality and needs to be taken seriously. At the same time, our ideas of history and nations
are only minusculy influenced by people themselves. As essential as studying is,
encounters are the truest source of knowledge. It also, on a profound level, taught me that
everyone in the world is so humanly similar and entirely unique, carrying different tales of
horror, virtue, and kindness that can serve as lessons to all. And educationally, in terms of
my career and education, it made me realize I have chosen the path I want to be on. It was
almost surprising to experience something that organically fused the practicality of my
double major. Never before had I felt my prior education so confirmed.
In terms of my film major, before this, I was set on Narrative films rather than
documentary/journalist pieces. While I was there, I was addicted to filming more so than
any other time in my life. It made me very comfortable with the idea of pursuing a career
in documentary journalism, at least to the point that I would love to continue making films
like this along with narrative pieces. Also, overall, it made me much more confident in my
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abilities as a filmmaker. As hard as I had to work, sunrise to beyond sunset, I never felt
overwhelmed. Rooming with my close friend Steven definitely helped because we would
shoot ideas back and forth, and that leads to something I have learned time and time again,
the importance of teamwork in filming. Without Steven, my excellent Chilean producer -
Naty, and the rest of the wild dogs team, there is no way I would have come out with the
piece I am so proud of.
Returning to the study abroad itself, firstly, the entire filming process was a massive
academic excursion. We also traveled to Valparaiso for the cultural holiday, El Da de las
Glorias Navales witnessing both a military march and a parade. We had many interesting
lectures by journalists in a country that takes free speech very seriously (because of the 17
year dictatorship). I had had the opportunity to go on the Chilean news show, El
Informante, with the President of Ecuador (one of the most politically controversial men in
South America), and I didnt have to go through any security which stood in stark
contrast to our security culture. When I asked one of the Chilean producers why they did
not frisk me, she replied, Oh no they trust us. Its not like your country where there are
security cameras everywhere and students shoot each other in schools. We trust each other
here. To be short, I learned a great deal.
It was the ideal upper-class film major course. I would not have changed a single
aspect. I am aware that other people have complaints, and I hate to be harsh, but they are
solely linked to filming inexperience. It was a 300 level film course, and it would be crazy
to think that it would come easy to anyone not already well versed in documentary filming.
That would be like taking a 300 level study-abroad engaged Chemistry course without
having taking the pre-requisites. Of course, that is not their fault, there should have been a
requirement of having taken other film courses first: perhaps Intro to Video/Digitial
Cinema Production and any 300 level film production course. However, so long as they
pass, I can guarantee they are a thousand times more experienced filmmakers after taking
this incredible course.
If I were to give a few words to students thinking about the course I would say: It
was incredible, life-changing, career, relationship, and character building. It was
immensely difficult, but the kind of intense labor that made me excited about the career
path I have chosen. It is the perfect course for any upper level film or journalist major, and
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it was always fun. Only do it if you have prior film experience or if you are someone who is
comfortable being thrown right into the mix. But actually, no matter what, do it.
Overall, it is impossible to sum up such a moving experience in a five-page paper,
but the final word is fear. The dissolution of fear was the overall gain of this trip. I gained
so much confidence in my abilities, the world, and myself. The people I met were so
hospitable and kind that it has become so much easier to paint a prettier picture of the world
in my mind. At the same time, day in and day out, I was thrust into intimidating excursions
that always surprised me by their ease. That little social fear of - will I get along with
anyone - dissolved after growing so close with all the fellow Loyola students. The dog
crisis was truly tragic, but there really are many fearless people working to change it. In
the United States, so many people are so afraid of each other, but people there treated
others with such warmth and trust that it taught me to do the same to people back home. In
Chile, after suffering through a gap in democracy and a military dictatorship, people there
are not afraid to stand up for their beliefs and even risk being arrested because they
understand how volatile freedom is. In terms of myself, the idea of traveling alone, even in
a foreign country, no longer contains fear. It was a beautiful experience, an excellent
course, and I am forever a more confident filmmaker, historian, and person because of it.

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Reflection Paper
Nadia Potter

I havent realized the depth and intensity of my experience in Chile until I was on
the plane back home. The physical distance allowed for emotional objectivity, while the
hours spent in between departing Chile to arriving home created the perfect in between
space to reflect on this incredible experience, and its effects on my work and world view.
On one hand, I was excited to return home, after two intense weeks of operating largely
outside my comfort zone. And on the other hand, Ive experienced some weird mix of
giddiness and melancholy. I think that this trip to Chile is some sort of creative initiation,
my own coming of age story. Somewhere, in the friendly sky between Santiago and
Panama City, I suddenly, and without a doubt, knew what I want to do when I grow up.
Being able to travel to Chile, and partake in this one-of-a-kind learning opportunity
was nothing short of a miracle. In fact, I am still not sure how things came together
financially, and what made my husband to give me the green light. But as the departure
date got closer, I became increasingly concerned, questioning myself whether going to
Chile was a smart thing to do. Since I am a heavyweight champion of self-criticism, I
started worrying about anything and everything.
First, I knew that though my story topic was the cats meow, at the same time, what
made it so thrilling for me, was also what worried me the most Access!
The intrigue of infiltrating shady kingdoms of dark roast, steamed milk, and
steaming young women, serving coffee, and sometimes more, to the businessmen pouring
in like locust during their lunch breaks was beyond me. However, the low probability of
getting inside one of these coffee shops and interviewing one of the girls, actually put my
alpha-type ambition into drive mode. Hearing I cant do something always makes me want
to prove otherwise. And this was my biggest goal for Chile getting access. But as the
weeks grew closer to the departure date, I became less and less confident in my abilities. I
kept torturing myself with questions like: What will happen if I cant get even one
interview? What will I do if my equipment malfunctions? Maybe my Chilean partner
doesnt even speak any English, while I dont speak any Spanish? Maybe we wont vibe
well together?
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I also felt incredibly guilty leaving my 4-and-a-half year old for two whole weeks,
which has never happened before. Another novelty was the fact that Eva, my daughter, was
now capable of expressing how much she didnt want me to leave, and how angry she was
at me. For instance, about a week before the trip, as I was driving her to daycare, she said
something like Im gonna pull mamas lashes out. I knew she was trying to process her
feelings and show me how much she is upset and worried. But that sent my mind spinning
through a million different galaxies, with planets that had the exact same name bad
mother. And my husband, who up until then was attempting to be supportive, now had
started getting anxious about having to pick up the household responsibility slack on his
own. And he made a point of sharing his worries with me on repeat.
All these stressors were powerful enough to make me fantasize about shredding my
roundtrip tickets, and canceling the flight.
I dont have enough words to express how happy I am for not canceling, though.
One of confidence boosters to execute this project was meeting my Chilean
producer, Alex. Although he is significantly younger than me, we worked very well
together. Instead on focusing on partying with the American crew, Alex followed my lead.
Weve begun working on the same day we were introduced. I was amazed at his ability to
communicate with owners, managers, and girls working at the cafes, convincing them to let
us, along with our large video camera, in. In addition, we generally worked over 10 hours
each day, yet he wasnt complaining. Alex also kept an eye on his gringa making sure
no one steals my wallet, or walks away with the camera. Working with Alex was such a
blessing. I couldnt have asked for a better partner.
The other blessings was Raul a local photographer who produced a photo essay
about Caf con Piernas, focusing on the women who worked there. During my hours of
research online, trying to find some sort of a lead in Chile, I stumbled on his portfolio
online. His work was impressive, and even more impressive was the fact he had excellent
English. I ended up contacting Raul to see if he could be of help, and he agreed with no
reservation. I truly consider his generous contribution of time, sharing of connections that
eventually scored an amazing interview, and allowing me to use his photographs in the film
another little miracles, for which I am grateful.
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Moreover, while working in Chile, I realized the many gifts I personally posses, not
only as a storyteller, but also as a communicator. The circumstances forced me to be
creative, flexible, and comfortable with making executive decisions and driving the project.
I am also quite proud of the fact that in two short weeks I created relationships not only
with Alex and Raul, but also with a few administrators and several girls who work at the
cafes. I was truly touched when the day before I my flight back home, a few of them asked
me when I was coming back to Chile to visit them again.
In addition, I am thrilled I was able to get much more access than I thought I would.
And I am feeling so much more comfortable using the camera, as well as the audio
equipment. Needless to say that I am grateful for hands-on mentorship, advice, and support
that me pushed through even the toughest moments, when it seemed like everything is
going fall apart. Luckily, it all came together, while I received valuable professional and
personal lessons that I know will serve me throughout my career.
However, due to the topic I was investigating, and the fact that the rabbit hole went
only deeper as our investigation continued, bringing us to the front gate of the dirtiest and
most gruesome of Caf con Piernas. I noticed a certain sense of shadow and emotionality
that was tagging along. I finally became aware of the heaviness relating to the topic I
investigated, and how it rubbed on me on the flight back. I knew I pulled out in time to not
be completely overwhelmed. I have been processing my emotions quite a bit during this
past month, which paralleled the editing of the film. Meditating on this aspect of my
experience, and the way it connects to the film, makes me more aware of myself as a
person, as a woman, and as a storyteller.
In conclusion, I feel grateful for the opportunity to travel to Chile, and be immersed
in all aspects of documentary and investigative journalism. I hope that the friendships Ive
made will become life-long. I also hope that in the near future Ill begin professionally
travel to different countries, gathering meaningful and intriguing stories to share with the
rest of world. This might sound like a clich, but the experience of traveling to Chile, and
investigating a fascinating story while shooting a documentary, made me see exactly what
I want to do when I grow up. Finally, I feel that Ive truly grown as a filmmaker, and as a
human being because of this incredible opportunity; and I would, without reservation,
recommend it to every journalism or documentary student.
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2 Million Chile Dogs, No Onions
Marissa Cameron

From the beginning, I wanted my first time studying abroad to be a part of my story as
a person, not just as an artist. I knew for a fact that this trip would help me grow as an artist,
but I was unsure if I would have one of those cathartic life-changing moments. But I must say,
this two-week program in Santiago, Chile has fueled a deeply rooted lust for world travel that
had never been fulfilled previously. Being the first of my immediate family to travel outside
the country to study, I wanted to make the most of it. Over the course of the trip I came to
understand that the relationship between humans and dogs in Chile is a multifaceted issue.
The sights I saw and the individuals I met, canine and human, I will never forget. I also
discovered that travel, especially for the purpose of academic study, truly does result in a
broadened perspective of the world. I no longer have a solely figurative idea of how big the
world is, I have experienced how big the world is.
One of the important aspects of being a part of team is being able to recognize where
you are needed. When most people think about a filmmaker or think about filmmaking in
general, they picture someone operating a camera. An outsider looking at my experience
might say that much of my time was spent holding a boom pole, running sound, and carrying
other peoples equipment. However, I know full well that films do not get very far from
square one without people who are willing to do those things. One of the other students
working on the dog project had a bad back, from the moment I learned this, I knew as a group
we would not get much done without someone to help him get around. When our bi-lingual
partner Nati was not around to help carry things, I would end up carrying most of it. Despite
Nati nicknaming me Mula (Mule), I still did a lot of other things than just carry peoples
stuff. I composed shots, checked exposure, and learned loads about a camera I did not have
much experience with prior. So, on the days that I did operate the camera I got a chance to put
my camera skills to use, and on the days I was not doing this I was learning about using a
boom and how to capture good audio on the fly. In postproduction, I noticed what worked and
what did not work about this process. When I was not operating the camera or the boom, I was
carefully watching what the other members of my group were doing and/or I was conducting
the interviews being filmed. I would say there are many nitty-gritty parts of production that
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people do not think to discuss. Production is not just running the camera. When the credits roll
there is a reason that the list of people involved is far longer than just the actors, camera
person, and the director. My family has always been the type to stay in the theatre until the
end of the credits. I have always been aware, ever since I was little growing up around music
and costume design, that there is so much work behind the scenes to make a scene happen. My
eyes and ears were not closed during those hours spent schlepping and holding the boom. My
ability to be a versatile team player and a good communicator gave me the chance to lead and
help build and maintain a good work relationship between us three students and our professor.
I made sure to research the issue of the dog population prior to my arrival. I knew
about the other videos that have already been out on the Internet for years. The dialogue about
this issue, the over population of dogs in Chile, had been going on long before us Loyola
students arrived. Because I kept my ears open during the interviews that took place, making
mental notes of what I heard and saw, I began to develop an idea of what I wanted to
contribute to this ongoing conversation about animal welfare.
One of my regrets was not having more time or energy to concentrate on learning and
utilizing a foreign language. However I do not regret using the time and energy I did have to
focus on this project. I strongly believe, especially after viewing my final product, I could not
have used my energies any other way and gotten the same result. I wrote in my journal every
day and reflected on the process. By paying close attention I was able to get a basic idea of
everything we saw, and have a plan prior to postproduction. It may seem obvious, but I knew I
had to have a grasp of what we shot on which days. My efforts to limit distractions and keep
the film at the forefront of my mind are part of the reason my film turned out so well.
Capturing the elements of a story is one thing, but having the mindset to put these pieces
together in a coherent and compelling fashion is a different skill set altogether, and one that I
have been trying to perfect for years. Despite this, I do wish I had more time to delve into the
culture and utilize the language (though, I did successfully order food in Spanish a number of
times), but I knew this was not my reason for travelling to Santiago. I was there to tell a story
and had I not made the choices I made, chose to party less, chose to sleep more, and simply
keep my eyes open for dogs, I would not have had the same result. This is not to say I did not
revel in the language, the people, their wine, and their culture, but I believe I kept my
priorities straight and I think it definitely shows. I do hope however that the next time I travel
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I can concentrate more on using the language of the country I am visiting. That being said,
because we were going to Santiago for the purpose of making a documentary, we got to see
parts of the city that tourists would not normally see. Because of this, should I ever return to
Santiago, I will know my way around quite well.
One of the first observations I made in my journal was that the clouds looked like
glaciers from the plane. I had not been on a plane since second grade. We saw a rainbow as
we were taking off for Santiago from Panama. Another highlight was that I got to see two of
Pablo Nerudas houses, one in Santiago and one in Valparaso. The poet in me was very
happy. A puppy peed on my shirt the second full day we were there. I ate delicious food for
the most part, we had meal tickets and another student and I decided to play it cheap and safe
by going to Pizza Hut one night, bad idea! There was humor, amazing sights, and as I have
already said, amazing people.
There were low points. One of the bilingual students lost her father and was unable to
travel home to Brazil to see her mother. The majority of the toilets in the hotel stopped
working halfway through our last week there. These things aside, the biggest thing I had to
deal with emotionally was that I started to lose count of the number of stray dogs the second
day we were there. This was a good thing for the documentary, but the sheer number of dogs
was overwhelming. Some of the dogs I saw even in the first few days were in very rough
shape. Almost immediately upon arrival a dog greeted us. We met her in the airport parking
lot. For lack of better ideas, but mostly due to sleep deprivation, we named her Pepe. She had
a lot of matted fur on her legs (I wish I had had some scissors at the time). She was very
sweet, skittish, and eager for a belly rub. Before leaving to go to our hotel we gave her some
food. As we drove away she returned to her business of greeting new arrivals and scavenging.
I have many other memories of many other dogs, Pepe was the first one I met I felt I should
share this one. I remember thinking that Pepe was just the beginning of what would be a very
complex story. I saw so many dogs in Santiago that some began to look the same. That is a
sad thought, especially coming from a country where most dogs are viewed and treated as
individuals. It was overwhelming. As of today I am still not sure where I stand on the issue.
Free? In a shelter? Both were tough to look at for different reasons. I heard opinions from all
sides. I thought to myself when I got back to the USA that perhaps with more reflection, and
after a month in the editing room, I will come up with a more concrete opinion. The only thing
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I know for sure is that by making this documentary I, my teacher, and the other two students
working on the project can contribute to the conversation, spread the word, and educate others
about this crisis. One of the first steps to solving an issue like this is starting a dialogue about
it. As I said this dialogue has been going on for a long time and I am happy to have
contributed my part. I think that when other Americans see what we have seen they too will
want to talk about it. When you think about it, the dogs in Chile are not that different from like
homeless people. They fall asleep outside train stations, under trees, next to storefronts, and
hundreds of people pass them every day without noticing. Emotionally, this was tougher to see
for some students more than others. Even for the students who were not documenting the dogs
it was very hard. One cried about the dogs the second day we were there. Since I had
researched the issue beforehand I had an idea of what to expect, but I still nearly lost it a few
times. I know we were warned about culture shock prior to traveling, but however strong you
think your resolve is it is hard to tell until you get there. I held up okay, but seeing dogs with
limps, ribs showing, scars, a dog with burns from a fire, and a puppy missing an ear, it quickly
became a tough pill to swallow.
So far as improving the trip, I recall a lot of students not being very interested in the
class lectures we attended at the university. I know many of us really enjoyed the bike tour of
Santiago and the vineyard tour, but the lectures, for lack of a better description, seemed like a
waste of our time. I say this not because any of the content was uninteresting, but considering
the amount of time we had to film, I cannot help but wonder what we might have missed. I
think if the trip were a week longer we could have afforded to lose this time. I know, at least
in the case of what I was able to produce, I felt I had a decent amount of footage and I was
able to create something great, but one cannot help but wonder. Another potential negative, it
was not until the last few days we were there that I felt confident I could get around the city by
myself, but then again some people are better with directions and maps than others. In terms
of production related negatives, I think more meetings prior to arrival would have benefited
our group in particular. On a personal note, I thought it would have been nice to have known
that blending audio from ten or more different locations would be so time consuming. I could
have guessed had that question been posed to me in that way, but in the case of a school
project I would have liked more advice and transparency ahead of time about how time
consuming certain parts of this project would be. Needless to say, I pulled the all-nighters
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necessary to complete the assignment to my professors and my personal standards. I am not
the type of person to leave any boxes unchecked. This being said, it was very difficult for me
to predict how much time this would take. Looking back, and as advice for future students, I
would have put in longer hours during the first week back in the USA just to get the footage
watched, labeled, and organized. What I did not realize with documentaries is you really have
to go through your footage and label things before you begin. For a documentary novice, this
was not an obvious thing to me at first. I felt lost, confused, and lacking a direction. Once I got
to labeling, my careful observations, journaling, and mental notes started to really come into
play. I cannot stress enough the need to start this aspect of the process early. I wish someone
had advised me on this. Overall I felt teacher-student communication was good, but when you
are relying on the written word, dealing with a time-zone difference, and a host of other
variables, one cannot help but feel they might misinterpret the instructors words. Personally, I
benefit from face to face communication. It allows you to read a persons non-verbal cues and
get an idea of what they really think other than how they are able to articulate it on paper. I
cannot help but think, in a perfect universe, having at least one weekly meeting or critique
either as a class or individually with the professor (in addition to the written comments) would
have been more useful. One last recommendation for future students attending this program: if
you have asthma, pack ample medication. I needed my rescue inhaler for the entire first week.
It took a while to get used to the pollution/smog. There are also plenty of smokers at every
turn. I even needed my inhaler when we went to the top of Santa Lucia, a hill in the middle of
the city, because I felt so light-headed. Once I started to get used to the air I was able to wean
off of my medicine.
One of the things I found most fascinating about Santiago was how much it reminded
me of Chicago. Starbucks, lots of sushi, an amazing train and bus system, in many ways it felt
like home. This truly felt like a place I could actually see myself living. I have never felt this
way about any city other than my hometown, Chicago, so that says a lot. One of the ways this
related to the dog issue was that you saw more dogs in the same areas where crime rates and
poverty are higher. We had the opportunity to go to some of these areas, which was amazing.
Sadly, like Chicago, Santiago is plagued by large socio-economic gaps. I learned that these
kinds of issues exist everywhere not just in Chicago. Also the people, and their custom of
kissing on the cheek as a greeting, were amazing. I would also say that the country seems to
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be in a different time period. Politically and socially, it almost seemed like the 60s America I
have seen in movies. It was a fascinating time to visit; I can now say Ive been to a country
that up until the 90s was ruled under a dictatorship.
Aside from not using the language as much as I would have liked, I must say that I
have zero regrets. The all-nighters were completely worth it. I felt as though I was
contributing to a larger conversation happening in the world. I got to work with and meet
people I never would have met otherwise and inadvertently, I learned a new editing program
that I did not need to learn (now I can say I know Final Cut Pro 7 and Adobe Premiere). It is
very funny to me, in this increasingly technological world we live in, how well documented
my experiences in life have been so far. I have footage of my first school play, published
poetry from high school, and now I have this amazing documentary. Whether it is just me
alone reading a book on a porch when I am old, or me at some backyard BBQ surrounded by
grandkids, I will always have this video to pass on. It will not just be the words and the
souvenirs; I will have something concrete. I can show other people what I experienced, not
just tell them about it.
This has been a huge year of firsts for me personally. To name a few, this
was my first year making the deans list both semesters, my first year playing with the
Loyola Womens Rugby team, and this year I had my first experience studying abroad. I
knew for a long time that I was not ready to go to school far away from my home, but after
taking this geographic leap I now know that I am ready for more. The relationships I have
built this year at Loyola (home and away) have changed my life; I am more confident than I
have ever been. As my dad has described (glowing with a smile), I am really taking the
ball and running with it. I feel I learned so much more than I would have just working on a
regular abroad program. For Petes sake, I was working with people and animals in a
foreign country! I could not have asked for more. If it were not for my desire to travel to
more places, I would do this program every year. I made so many friends, and I made a
movie, and, despite growing so much in two short weeks, I felt like a kid again.

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Study Abroad Chile
Steven Abriani

For two and a half weeks in the month of May, I along with nine of my fellow
students and one professor, lived in Santiago, Chile, for a study abroad documentary class.
Our assignment as film makers was to film and produce a seven to ten minute documentary
short about a topic in Santiago that involved a social issue. We were to film as much
footage as we could in the two and half weeks and then we were to head back to Chicago
and edit the piece to turn in by the end of the month of June. We were each given one
Chilean student producer who attended the local Jesuit University, Universidad Alberto
Hertado. Along with our producers we toured the city, met the people, ate the food, and
immersed ourselves in the Chilean culture to better understand the country and the topic for
which we were to produce a short documentary study on. My topic was on the massive
graffiti culture in Chile. In this paper I will examine the effectiveness of this study abroad
trip to Chile and answer the question, was it worth it?
When I first heard about this trip, two years before it actually took place I was
extremely excited and couldnt wait for the class to begin. But when the time came around
two years later and I was given the opportunity to attend the trip to make a documentary on
Chile, I have to admit the fear and skepticism started to set in. What was I going to do my
topic on? Where was I going to get the money? What are my interests, even? What is my
purpose for being a film maker? Do I even exist or am I simply a spec of dust apart of a
much larger organism? The questions were endless. But in the end with the added
persuasion from my classmate, I raked up the money, packed my bags and headed to Chile.
I ended up choosing the topic of Graffiti, something I knew very little about but was
nonetheless extremely interested in. But all in all, for me the purpose of this trip was to test
my self and to experience another world, another way of life. I had been very skeptical
about our American lifestyle for many years leading up to this trip, and I believed that this
trip, with the help of my camera, would be the perfect solution to figure out some answers
on how the world outside of the USA works.
When I arrived in Santiago, I couldnt have been more happy about my decision.
The place was beautiful and full of life, sounds, and smells I had never known existed, and
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of course there was copious amounts of graffiti. From the moment we started to get our feet
wet to the point when I got on the plane back to the States I loved every minute of filming
Santiago. It was a film makers dream. New people, new sights, new activities, everyone
was extremely kind and open to United States citizens, it was fantastic. But apart from
simply being able to film a brand new place for two weeks, I believe one of the biggest
reasons that set this trip apart and really made my experience special was the extreme
immersion that I had into the Chilean culture, and this immersion was made possible
supremely by our Chilean producers. They took us in as their own, feeding us in their
cafeteria, showing us the sights, introducing us to their friends and their family. We literally
felt like we were apart of a home we had never visited before. As a film maker, I believe
along with others, that the worst thing to become when you enter a new country is a tourist,
but in Santiago, I never felt as such. Any interview I wanted they made sure it happened, if
I didnt know how to order in a restaurant they helped me translate my request, if I ever
needed access to their schools computers or their homes or their lights, they were more
than willing to do anything and everything in their power to make my stay and experience
as smooth and productive as possible. In this experience I was the film maker, and with the
help of my wonderful producer I was able to film Chile not from the perspective of a
outsider, but from the eyes of a Chilean, experiencing these problems, feeling the passions,
and seeing how the art around Santiago affected the life of its inhabitants. And through my
lens I was able to capture all of this life, love and energy that I grew to love so dearly about
Chile. I was able to look at the art and graffiti through a whole new perspective.
The positives of this trip are many and they range from the excellent company and
hospitality, to the wonderful food, and most importantly the freedom. As I said before, our
Chilean producers were stupendous hosts, they would take us to anywhere we needed to go
and even show us things we didnt know we needed. They were our voice in this foreign
country, and even though I didnt understand any spanish going into this trip, I never felt
completely lost in translation. Another wonderful part of this trip was the culture, and when
I say culture, this ranges from the food, to the music, to the night life, to the beaches. Chile
is a beautiful country, filled with wonderful people that know how to live life to the fullest.
Every night we had something to do or an event to attend be it either a night on the town, or
a chance to attend a Network Television interview of major political figures; their was
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always something going on in Santiago. But even if you wanted to just stay in the city and
explore, people constantly playing music, or dancing or singing, you could be entertained
by simply sitting on a park bench and keeping your ears open and you eyes wide. But over
all of this culture and hospitality, I believe the biggest positive of this trip was the freedom
that we were given as students and filmmakers. We were literally given equipment and
food tickets, and than sent on our way to make a documentary film. Aside from the
occasional review session with our teacher, we were literally on our own with our Chilean
counter-part to explore this brand new place, take in this wonderful culture and film in
everything you can with a camera. I loved this freedom and it was because of this that I
really felt a personal connection with this country and this experience. And honestly, I had
zero complaints about this trip, we had events planned, days scheduled to keep us busy, but
if we wanted to skip them to film or just explore on our own we could. I was given the
freedom to film and that is all I could have asked for, I loved the experience.
If I were to give one insight on how to improve this trip, I would say that it would
be nice to have a teacher or a guide who knew how to speak spanish at all times. Now for
the most part we did have a chilean guide, and while they were there I never felt lost. But
for the few moments when we were relying on our teacher to guide us and help us out, it
seemed that because of this language barrier, he was just as lost as we were, so if we were
to instead have this teacher along but with another chaperone to guide our group and help
with the language barrier, it would have been greatly welcomed and appreciated.
I think the best part of this trip was the feeling that I had seen the world through
another light. I came home and I started to understand things about this world and its
inhabitants that I never thought I would ever comprehend and I think his has to do with the
perspective I gained from this trip. It was as simple as seeing how the chilean people
greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek, these people were very in touch with their
emotions and their connections with others and that was something that I had only
experienced in USA with a select group of people. I definitely understood that the way we
live life in the USA is not the only way and in many cases not the best way to go about it.
And from living in Chile and seeing how they organize themselves and interact with each
other, I saw a culture that was energized and happy to be apart of a community, as opposed
to the USA which now seems now very self-centered and dull.
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I am not sure yet whether my film will reflect something I am proud of, but I do
know that the entire time filming it I was the happiest I had ever been holding a camera. I
was extremely proud of my drive and persistence to go out everyday and film, it didnt
seem like work anymore, it finally felt like a life force that I wanted to cling to every
morning I woke up. I can honestly say that I was obsessed with filming in Santiago, and
although there is a chance that my final product may not reflect this passion, I am still
nonetheless proud of myself for filming everything that I did. But along with that, I was
able to film the lives of people that I really respect and admire, and if I am able at all to
offer an insight and a peephole into these peoples lives those who were so generous and
loving to accept me, I will be extremely proud.
If you plan on taking this course, my advice is this, come into it with zero
expectations, try your best to learn a little spanish, but most importantly research your topic
as much as you can. One thing I wished I did was look and read far more about Graffiti, not
only in Chile, but just in general. For even though I am grateful for my experience, I
believe that my product would have come out much more interesting and thought
provoking if I had known my subject it a little better and asked questions that were less
proud and generic and more specific and genuine.
I wish I could list everything I learned from this trip, but if I did, I think this paper
would look less like a reflection paper and more like an encyclopedia. But if I had to point
out the important lessons I think they would be, never to judge someone strictly off of their
looks, always keep an open mind, and go with the flow. The people of Chile taught me
more than I ever could learn from being by myself with a camera, they taught me how to
love your country and your community, and how to be a better person to those around you.
I learned so much as a film maker from how to set up a proper interview, to how to interact
with a subject that doesnt speak the same language as you, to how to interact with a subject
when they have invited you into their house, but aside from all of this I believe the most
important lessons are the ones that I cant really describe but that I can just feel everyday.
And I thank the Chilean people for teaching me how to appreciate everything and everyone
around you, and how to be a better person, not just for yourself but for your country and
loved ones as well.
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In conclusion, I believe that the decision to come to Chile and participate in this
study abroad trip was the right one. I loved ever second of the trip, from the great people to
the wonderful culture and the energy you feel vibrating off of everything around you. I
learned so much about myself as a film maker, but also myself as a person and the lessons I
learned on this trip are something that I will never be able to forget and will carry with me
until I die. So to answer the question that was posed at the beginning of the part, I would
like to say yes, it was worth it.

20

Reflection Essay
Joe Bosch

Looking back, its funny that such a spontaneous decision led to some of the best
times of my life. Back in February, while failing to sleep in early on a Saturday morning, I
decided to browse through Loyolas study abroad webpage. I had heard about the two-
week inter-term trips that are offered but until that point had put off researching the details.
South America has been a destination I had been longing to visit for some time, so I
scrolled down the page looking for any country within its borders. After a short time,
Chile appeared. I immediately clicked on the link and read the description.
Miraculously, the course offered was one within my Film & Digital Media major, affording
students the opportunity to produce their own documentary. The location and description
of the course alone convinced me and by noon that day I was pretty much set to go; little
did I know what an impact the course would end up having. My abroad experience in
Santiago, Chile was extremely satisfying as it allowed me to become fully immersed in the
local culture; gain practical experience in shooting and producing a short documentary; and
most importantly, introduce myself to a group of amazing individuals whom I now proudly
call my friends.
Before our departure date we were asked to determine the topics of our films. I
chose to focus on Santiagos street performance culture after doing some research and
learning that is especially vibrant in the city. Ill be honest, I probably should have done
more research prior to the trip to narrow my focus and have a clearer idea of what I wanted
my final product to look like. Our other preparation came through gathering equipment and
getting in touch with the students we were paired with based on each of our topics. Finally,
May 9 arrived and we journeyed down to Chile. Shortly after our arrival our whole group
was met with messages from our partners urging us to go out with them the following the
night. I, as well as most of the others, was very keen on the idea, as it would immediately
expose us to the citys nightlife and young people. We ended up hitting it as off
immediately as a group and had an absolute blast that night. They took us to a local club
where some of their friends would be performing in a band called Son del Valle. Looking
back at that night, I can still say that it was one of the highlights of the trip. I was so
21

completely taken by the band and quickly decided that I had to feature them in some
capacity in my film. We began production the following Monday.
As I stated above, my preparation on the subject of my film was regrettably limited.
As a result, I found myself scrambling a bit to set our shooting schedule when we first
arrived. Although slightly unorganized, the first stage of our production went smoothly as
we gathered most of our b-roll while narrowing down interviews. Our producers, Carolina
and Anto were unbelievably helpful along the way acting as our guides, interpreters, means
of communication, etc. To put it simply, our film would not have been made possible
without them, not even close. As we kept building our list of planned interviews, it began
to look like we were running into a problem as most all of them were authentic street
performers who spoke very little, if not no English. It was at this point in the production
process when I became slightly frustrated with the guidelines of the films. I thought our
best interviews were being stripped away from us because we had to cater to an English-
speaking audience (something I didnt care too much about). Whatever the case, we set out
to work around this challenge and find pertinent, English-speaking interviewees.
As is the case with most creative endeavors, dealing with restrictions often renders
the most innovation product. We were able to conduct successful interviews that ended up
carrying our film. We also gathered a lot of interesting footage from a wide variety of
Santiagos street performers. Son del Valle was a treat to follow around and they allowed
us to shoot them in a variety of locations, including another of their shows and a special
performance at a metro station. By the end of our time shooting I was satisfied with our
footage and eager to assemble it all into a cohesive project.
As stated above, I went into the trip viewing it as a perfect opportunity to
experience a new place while educating myself, but was open to surprises along the way.
Looking back, the experience was so much more than I expected. I think the role I played
in my positive experience was being truly open and receptive to learning new things and
exposing myself to the local culture. I never found myself apprehensive to anything
Carolina and Anto suggested and I was always eager to seek out a subject more interesting
than the last. The most positive aspect of the trip was the people I had the privilege to meet
and spend time with. Although the actual production was a great experience, what made
the trip special happened the behind the scenes in our new friendships. I remember asking
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a fellow classmate if everyone in Chile was as cool as our student partners or if we just got
lucky. They were genuinely good people with welcoming hearts. I only spent two weeks
with them and I left feeling like I had known them for months, if not years. Theres a lot
more I could say about these special people, but Ill leave it at that. Another huge positive
about the trip was the practical, hands-on experience it gave me. I am grateful that we were
able to be so independent throughout the process because I was able learn so much about
my tendencies as a filmmaker that I didnt know before. This came through repeated trial
and error that forced me to improve throughout the two-week period. I also gained
valuable experience throughout the lengthy editing process that will surely prove beneficial
in future projects.
If I could offer an improvement to the trip it would be to make sure we spend a bit
more time researching and narrowing down our subjects. This could include a couple more
days to merely walk around the city to get a better feel for locations before shooting. I
would also try to lengthen the trip as a whole by a week or two, although this is probably
unlikely due to financial restrictions. As far as coming away with a different perspective on
life in another country, I wasnt blown away because life in Santiago is fairly similar to that
in the US. Aside from the cultural diversions I witnessed on the street and the wide variety
of individuals we came across, I wouldnt say my view of life in other countries has
changed significantly as a result of this trip.
I am fairly satisfied with my film, but in retrospect there are things I wouldve done
differently while shooting. First, I wouldve narrowed my focus from the get-go so that I
could try to get all my interviews done first. This would have focused our b-roll much
more than it is now and made for a film that is more centered on the specifics of what the
interviewees are discussing. That being said, I am proud of how our film portrays the street
performance culture as a whole. I think I did a good job compiling our best footage of the
performers in a way that highlighted as many of them as possible.
My study abroad experience to Santiago was an eclectic experience in which I
learned a multitude and met some amazing people. Being let loose to shoot on our own
accord allowed me to strengthen and fine tune my personal style and gave me hands on
experience shooting and editing my own shortformat documentary. Spending so much
time on the streets of the city with our local guides made for an incredible immersion
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experience that I wouldnt have gotten otherwise. My advice to future participants of the
program would be to take advantage of this immersive opportunity by delving into the
culture as much as possible. This may sound like a simple task, but its important to
actually be in the country youre visiting. I felt like I took full advantage of all the
resources that were given to us, but I am grateful to all my classmates and Chilean friends
who offered me further encouragement. This is a wonderful program and one that I hope
will be enjoyment by many more Loyola students in the future.

24

Chile Documentary Final Paper
Morgan McDonald

My time in Chile taught me a great deal about a number of things; culture,
bureaucracy, the nature of people, but most importantly I learned a great deal about the art
of documentary filmmaking. I began to crave and thrive on the uncertainty and chaos that
surrounded los Bomberos, the volunteer fire fighters of Chile. These brave men and (some)
women endure 8 months of training and incredible danger for little more than a good job
from their brothers in the fire house. These people do not see joining the fire department as
a job, more of a vocation that is deeply respected throughout the country. And though I
sometimes wished I had focused more on a humanitarian or charity related subject, I threw
myself into the work and completely fell in love with the Bomberos and all they stand for.
Beyond academic insight, I gained a new knowledge and understanding of the world
around me. People show their true colors in times of stress or when faced with the
uncommon or unconventional, and this trip showed me a different way of seeing things.
Initially all I had hoped for out of this trip was a decent documentary and a good time,
but I got more than I bargained for, and though that was sometimes challenging, I wouldnt
change it for the world. Any sort of emotional struggles were well worth the lessons
learned; for instance, I learned to be a bit more private with my sensitivities as to not alarm
anyone. I know how I work, as do my parents, and we all agreed that the actions taken by
the school when my mental health was called into question was severe and unnecessary,
but I understand (maybe better than most) weird, unfortunate things happen in times of
heightened stress. Humans are tricky animals, we have a tendency to lose all control when
first given freedom. Ive done my fair share of freedom seeking, but it was interesting to
watch from the outside; without going into too much detail, I got a chance to see the true
effects of alcohol on judgment and the feeling of euphoria and inhibition that come with an
increased blood alcohol level, and then the devastating comedown and sense of deep regret
felt as the booze works its way out of the system. I was happy to be the sober one who
took care of some of the other students, it worked out well for all of us. Barring the minor
unpleasantries, my adventure in Chile had for more good aspects than bad. The history of
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Chile is very fascinating, as Americans we hear communism and instantly think
oppression and strife, but in that country, communism and socialism are positive and
viable political parties. Michelle Bachelet, the newly elected (re-elected) president is a
Socialist who was voted in democratically. It was an interesting exercise to think so
differently than how I was taught for so long; Communism is bad, something that comes
from an angry man in a cold country, far, far away, but in Chile that could not be further
from the truth. In 1970s Chile, Marxist/Socialist president Salvador Allende brought
public arts and music to his people and worked for collectivization of funds gained through
state run copper mines and other large scale projects, and it was in fact the Capitalist
members of his cabinet and military that staged the coup against him, ending on September
11
th
1973 with his death.
Along with cultural knowledge, this trip reinforced and brought into action a lot of the
expertise gained in previous classes at Loyola; interview techniques, shot framing, hand
held camera work, and so much more went into making this film, none of which I would
know anything about if it werent for the production classes Ive taken. My heart went out
to the Graduate students who never used the equipment before, they were lost for the first
few days, but I think we all helped each other out when we needed it. Though I am still in
the editing process, I know this film will be something that I can be extraordinarily proud
of. Of course I would not have a subject at all if it werent for my uncle, Jake Miranda,
even though he flaked on the translations, I still would not have a topic if it werent for him
mentioning that he trains firemen when I asked if he could help me learn Spanish. Also,
and most obviously, the Bomberos of Chile gave me so much access and footage, that I
could make a 3 hour documentary if I so choose.
Los Bomberos do not see joining the department as a job, or volunteer work, they see it
as a vocation and a calling to do higher things for their fellow man. These people are
amazing human beings, and completely selfless in the face of extreme danger. One of my
interviewees, Juan Jose, told us about the Valparaiso fire and about how 12 people were
lost, including 5 Bomberos, but if it werent for them, the whole city may have been lost; it
was this selfless compassion that drew me to the subject. There is no incentive to risk their
own lives other than the satisfaction of saving one. I completely fell in love with Los
26

Bomberos and all they stand for, beyond that I fell in love with Chile.
So many great things happened on this trip; I met new friends, I added a few stamps
to my passport, got to see Santiago Chile from 15 stories up, and the whole time I kept
thinking, This feels like home. I love Chicago, but Ive never been 100% comfortable
there, Ive traveled a lot, and each country I go to I feel I get a little closer to feeling at
home, and when we got to Chile I knew I found a real option. As annoying as some things
were, and as frustrating as it was trying to decide on a topic, I think my time in Chile was
perfect but only because I made it perfect. It would have been easy to shut down and get
sent home, but I wouldnt allow that. That being said, I would highly recommend taking
this trip again, but maybe give clearer parameters on the film, and most importantly, for the
sake of the Grad students, offer a basic (and optional) production and editing workshop in
the weeks before the trip. As I said, I wish some things went differently; but the fact is Im
smarter and stronger than I was. I know I had my moments of anxiety and fear but I
bounced back quickly, and luckily it was only a brief blip in the timeline of Chile.
Honestly, I would have endured 10 times the frustration if it meant I could have stayed just
a weekend longer. There is still so much I want to learn about their history and culture, I
didnt have enough time, but Im learning Spanish and have plans to return as soon as I can.
If I have any criticisms, its that the trip is not long enough!

27

Santiagos Street Performers
Tim Nagle

On May 9, 2014 I departed to Santiago, Chile to direct a documentary about street
performers. I had no previous experiences of working on films prior to our departure. I
have always enjoyed documentaries and I believed I would enjoy working on one, but my
lack of experience and knowledge of filmmaking had me worried that I may be in over my
head. We detoured along the way in Panama to switch planes. While in Panama I met Joe
Bosch, a film major from Seattle, Washington. After talking about our film ideas, we
realized that we had similar ideas for our stories. We decided to co-direct our films
together. This was relieving for me because I was no longer going into the film alone and I
now could ask for advice from someone with previous experiences. During the following
two weeks, I experienced an entirely new culture and learned a lot. One of my favorite
aspects of the trip was the hands on learning. We spent the majority of our days in the
streets of Santiago filming, instead of sitting in a classroom.
Professor Goheen gave us a lot of freedom for this project. We were given a lot of
creative freedom for creating the story we would tell. We also received freedom for what
we could do with our time. Aside from the few group events and classes at Universidad
Alberto Hurtado (which were very helpful in teaching us about Chilean culture) we were
expected to film on our own. While Professor Goheen offered us suggestions and advice for
our films, the majority of the decisions were up to us. I really enjoyed this freedom because
we were able to tell the story how we wanted to. I also should mention that this trip would
not have been possible without the help of our producers, who were Universidad Alberto
Hurtado students. They helped show us around the city, helped interpret Spanish for us, and
introduced us to Chilean culture. They made our trip a lot more authentic and they showed
us what Chile was really like.
I am a journalism major, not a film major. Going in to the trip, I thought working on
documentaries seemed like a cool job and it was something that I could see myself doing in
the future. I wanted to tell a compelling story and learn how to direct a film. I still have
those beliefs now that I have finished the project. Aside from co-directing this film, I
created an Exposure web page, which included pictures, video and text from our
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experiences. I was able to write about our experiences and tell a different story than the
film. This was similar to something I will do as a journalist. I was able to learn a lot about
film making while also doing something relevant to journalism.
I enjoy traveling and experiencing different cultures. While our trip to Chile was not my
first time out of the country, it was the most immersed I have ever been in another culture. I
enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between our cultures and
experiencing new things first hand. Our producers/partners were very friendly and helpful.
They made me not feel like a tourist in a foreign country. They explained their customs and
beliefs which made the trip much more authentic for me.
I have many wonderful memories from this trip, but my favorite may be going to the
band Sondelvalles concerts. Our film was about street performers and we profiled the band
Sondelvalle for our story. The band was a mix of Chilean music, rap and reggae. I am a big
music fan, so I really enjoyed experiencing the underground Santiago music scene. It was
really cool to see people being so passionate about Sondelvalles music. They had a good
following of fans that really enjoyed their music. Many of the fans were college-aged kids
and it was very cool to meet people who are the same age as me from round the world. It
was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
I would definitely recommend this trip to people considering it in the future. It was an
amazing experience to be immersed in to a different culture. Many people that I know that
have studied abroad had amazing experiences, but most of their experiences happened in
non-schooling events. This trip was special because we were able to have those same
experiences, but our school work was very cool as well. This trip provided the
opportunity to go to a new country, experience a new culture and make a film.
In closing, I had an amazing experience on this trip. I learned about a new culture,
helped make a film and made friends along the way. While it was a schooling event, it did
not feel much like school. We were given freedom to create what we wanted and the tools
to make it happen. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is considering it in the
future, even if they are not a film major. I had no previous experiences filming anything
and I was still able to contribute a lot to our film.