Film Festival Part 2: Truman

(First version of documentary poster from an MHCC graphic design student) For my final film project at school, I decided to make a documentary. Originally, my goal was to create something with purpose beyond entertainment. With this in mind, I began research for a documentary about a group of incredible deaf young people I met while filming an event in Newport, Oregon. But the story I needed wasn’t there, and I came to a dead end. That’s when I remembered a friend talking about a group of refugees from Thailand coming to America.They are a people group called “Karen,” but in the US they are often mislabeled “Korean.” Due to a lack of awareness among North Americans, these refugees often do not receive the linguistic and cultural assistance that they need to acclimate to our society. I called my friend, arranging to meet her family at a church attended primarily by Karen refugees. At the church, my friend introduced me to several beautiful people with compelling stories, but none of them stood out to me. How could I choose just one story for a short documentary? However, during my time there I noticed something stood out about a guy playing the piano in the service and translating the sermon to English. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, so I didn’t go out of my way to meet him. Still, it stuck with me for days, so I finally called my friend to asked her who that person was, and if there was anything special about him. It felt crazy, but I had a hunch I couldn’t shake. I couldn’t believe her response; this guy was exactly the person to make a powerful documentary to raise awareness for the Karen people. Who is he? 19-year-old Truman grew up in a Thai refugee camp, shut off from the outside world and mistreated by a rival military force. Now a refugee living in the United States, Truman faces a new set of obstacles. As a multilingual musician and translator, he deals with financial, social, and emotional struggles. Still, Truman finds incredible hope for his situation, determination to succeed, and a unprecedented love toward those who hate him. We’re still working in production and post-production, so more information will be available in the coming weeks! The short version of the documentary will play at the Mt. Hood Community College Final Cut Film Festival. I can’t wait!