“Bridging the Gap” is a documentary created by Chilombo Chiyaze, an international student and event coordinator at Student Leadership. It explores diverse voices not only at Seattle Central but all around Washington. This project is a two-part documentary, and Chiyaze was interviewed on Feb. 20 about the entire process behind both parts.
What is the background of the documentary?
This documentary began as an idea that “I had for quite some time. It stimulated [me] because I took two classes that were heavily based on social justice and bringing awareness of the systemic advantages that people of color go through,” Chiyaze responds. According to Chiyaze, being an international student and looking at America from an outside perspective, “the media portraying outside of America, comes out as stereotypical.” Through conversations with other people of color, especially African Americans, she began to understand certain struggles on a deeper level, further educating herself with the help of other international students. Her co-partner, Elijah, a student at Green River College, was also on the same journey of trying to discover his roots and reaching out to other Washingtonians sharing the same questions that Chiyaze and Elijah had.
How did you come up with and start the documentary?
Chiyaze replied, “This idea came to my mind when I reached out to my copartner Elijah. We started brainstorming how we can possibly put awareness about the challenges and the opinions putting people’s voices out there.” People all around Washington were able to be a part of the documentary, and weekly meetings were held throughout the month, along with filming. Chiyaze and Elijah also wanted to release the documentary during Black History Month. The desire of the community to tell their stories played a huge role in bringing this project to life.
What was your favorite part of filming the documentary?
Chiyaze’s favorite part of the process was connecting with people. She explains, “Seeing them through work and word of mouth or friends, having that connection and being able to see them. Being in a room with like-minded people and being able to bounce ideas off of each other.” She adds that it was her favorite part of filming because it was very eye-opening to learn about each individual’s unique story.
What was the most difficult part of filming the documentary?
The hardest part of filming, according to Chiyaze, was understanding that each person was only a student. “Trying to put things together, maybe there was a loss of communication,” Chiyaze replies. While it wasn’t too challenging overall, she notes that communication was the most difficult part of the project.
What would you hope people outside of Seattle Central would learn from the documentary?
The goal was not only to educate and inform, but to represent. Chiyaze responds, “That’s why we chose many people of color when it came to representing and hearing your truth with regard to your stories.” She hopes that a broader representation of culture and ethnicity will allow viewers to relate to the people in the documentary and realize that other people of color feel the same way, too. “Showing representation in challenges unites us and says, okay, you’re not doing this on your own,” she adds, emphasizing the shared frustration and challenges many people experience.
What can people expect with part two coming soon?
Chiyaze says that part one focuses on personal interviews with different students, while in part two, viewers can expect a different set of students and a more sit-down style of conversation rather than an interview format. In part two, viewers can expect to hear personal opinions and insights in a more relaxed setting.
Then, Chiyaze asked, “How do you feel I approached the project towards you?”
My response was, “The way it was approached by this newspaper, I felt that it was a story that needed to be heard. When you reached out to me, it made for a very compelling story, and I was happy to write about it.”
Author
As Rhiannon had done journalism in the past for her high school. She hopes to continue that path through the Collegian.
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