Approach
I believe the way stories are made is as important as the stories themselves.
Every documentary is shaped not only by the story it tells, but by the relationships, questions, and creative process that bring it to life. These principles guide my work as a filmmaker, oral historian, and National Geographic Explorer.
Principle 1
Deep Listening
Every community already holds extraordinary knowledge about its own history, culture, and future. My role isn't to arrive with answers, but to listen long enough for better questions to emerge. Grounded in oral history, I approach every project with curiosity, humility, and the belief that the most meaningful stories are often the ones we don't expect to find. Trust, careful listening, and long-term relationships are the foundation of every film I make.
Principle 2
Collaboration
Filmmaking is, at its heart, a collaborative process. I believe the people whose lives shape a film should be partners in the storytelling journey, not simply subjects of it. Through long-term relationships built on trust, reciprocity, and shared purpose, I strive to create films that reflect the integrity of both the process and the people involved.
Principle 3
Interbeing
People and place cannot be understood separately. Every landscape carries memory, culture, and relationships that shape the stories unfolding within it. My work explores the connections between people and the living world, inviting audiences to see themselves not outside nature, but as participants within it. I believe that deepening our sense of connection is essential to both environmental stewardship and cultural belonging.
Principle 4
Curiosity
Every film begins with a question rather than an answer. I'm drawn to stories that embrace complexity, resist easy narratives, and invite audiences to look more closely. Curiosity creates space for discovery—not only for the filmmaker, but for the people who share their stories and those who encounter them.
Principle 5
Regeneration
The stories we tell shape the futures we imagine. I'm interested in narratives that expand our sense of what is possible—stories that reveal resilience, creativity, and care alongside challenge. Rather than focusing only on what is broken, I hope my work contributes to the ecological, cultural, and community renewal already taking place around us.
Principle 6
Reverence
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Wonder is not separate from responsibility—it is often where responsibility begins. The more deeply we experience beauty, awe, and connection with the living world, the more likely we are to care for it. My films seek not only to document what is at stake, but to celebrate what is enduring, beautiful, and worth protecting.
