In Search Of My Identity: A Multi-Cultural Upbringing

Abstract

The documentary film I created as part of my Honors Thesis project examines the identity struggle I experienced with growing up in both Germany and the Unity States. In addition to video segments of an autobiography nature, the almost 14-minute film includes interviews with four other college-age women from multi-cultural backgrounds who discuss their views on their identity journeys. Themes such as the feeling of belonging, language barriers, living between two cultures, and fitting in with peers are also addressed. Each of the women who shared their stories in the film has a different country of origin, namely the Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, and Mexico. Concluding the documentary, I reflect on what I have learned from listening to their perspectives. The paper I wrote as an accompaniment to my documentary explores the process of creating the film. From coming up with the topic to choosing what interview clips to use, it details the lesser-known but crucial aspects of filming and editing. It explains the decisions I made regarding interview locations and camera equipment. I also discuss what I learned as a multi-cultural person and a filmmaker while creating this thesis.