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 to 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 to deep into the story.

Nov 08, 12:47AM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer