Film student documents veterans' stories with Making History Project
By Sarah Shoaf, Staff Writer
Working with the Making History Project (MHP) reminded Governors State University (GovState) film student Roman Ghimire of the impact that people’s personal stories can have on others.
“As a filmmaker, I usually think about storytelling through scripts, characters, and visual composition,” shared Roman (pictured right), a student in the Independent Film & Digital Imaging master’s program (MFA). “But this project reminded me that some of the most powerful stories come from real people and their personal experiences.”
As part of a summer course, Roman helped film interviews with veterans for the Making History Project. As a non-profit organization, the Making History Project’s mission is to preserve Veterans’ stories. They do this through in-person video oral history interviews that cover the Veteran’s life and important memories from his or her military service.
For Roman, who was behind the scenes moving equipment, setting up shots, and operating cameras during interviews, this project opened his eyes to another side of storytelling.
“Coming from Nepal, I also had the opportunity to learn about American veterans and their experiences from a perspective I hadn’t encountered before,” said Roman. “Listening to their stories helped me understand how important it is to document and preserve these experiences for future generations.”
While the class may have ended in the summer, Roman has since edited several videos for the project and continues to edit more. “I’m currently continuing my work with the Making History Project through my internship,” said Roman, who is also a graduate assistant in GovState’s media lab. “I’m excited to continue working on those stories and bring together what I’ve learned from both production and post-production.”
As an aspiring filmmaker and director, this project offered Roman an opportunity to learn more about the production process and his internship is building on that foundation as he gains more experience in post-production and documentary editing.
“I believe filmmaking is not just about creating beautiful visuals,” said Roman. “It's also about understanding people, listening to their experiences, and finding meaningful ways to share their stories. This project has helped me grow in that direction.”
When considering where he sees himself professionally, Roman’s goal is to “create films that tell meaningful stories and connect emotionally with audiences.” He credits GovState’s MFA program with bringing him closer to that goal.
“The MFA program at Governors State has given me opportunities to gain practical experience, work with professional equipment, and collaborate with people from different backgrounds,” said Roman. “I'm especially thankful to Stacy Amedeo (Promotions and External Relations Manager at GovState) and Patrick Russell (Oral Historian with MHP) for giving me the opportunity to be involved in the Making History Project and continue learning through this experience. Their guidance and support have been valuable to me.”
Interested in applying to the Independent Film & Digital Imaging master’s program at Governors State University? Learn more here.
To read more about the Making History Project, click here.
