How to make a documentary film
How I did it: I stayed in the Netherlands for two years, taking a Master study on environmental technology. So I guess it's fair to say that I didn't go to the Netherlands to make a movie. However, when I met my friend Yuyun, I decided that her story should be made into a movie.
She was also a student, started one year before I did. But not only that, she was also carrying and raising a little baby, while she practically lived alone because her husband was staying in Indonesia during the whole period.
I have a small remark here, that in Indonesia, this (doing a Master study and having a baby) is not really a common thing to do, although more and more women start doing this. But when you decide to do it, you can expect a lot of help from your spouse, parents, parent-in-laws, brothers, sisters, cousins, even your next door neighbours. And even if you don't, you can always hire maids and baby sitters at a relatively affordable price. This, is not what happened in the Netherlands.
So I guess that's a story tell itself. What I did was basically following Yuyun around with a camera. I had a rough scenario in my head and a sense of ending I wanted. I wasn't really good with camera, and that maybe what I should improve for the next project.
The shooting itself was done from May to September 2008. I once edited the movie myself, but then decided that it should be handed to somebody else. Not only I didn't have the necessary skills and equipment, I was involved too deep into the story. So I started the editing process in September 2009, which took about a month.
Lessons & tips: Have an ending in your mind, but let the story flows and prepare for unexpected events. Always charge your camera :D
Resources: I had friends help building the final story and doing the final editing. It's good to have someone else do it, especially if you're involved too deep into the story.
