border overlooking the country to the east, Iran. Each site we
visited offering a myriad of opportunities for creativity and
storytelling.
As we scouted, we walked and talked with the participants,
realizing that each of them is as passionate about their work
as John and I are. Some participants were creating stories
and scenes on the spot to film in any given location in which
we were standing. Other participants shared stories about
projects in spaces where they had already filmed. Agility
was also the name of the game as we scouted through the
crowded bazaars, dodging and weaving through people
and goods for sale, as well as hiking up craggy mountains
and steep sidewalks and up onto rooftops to get a look at
the valley below. iPhones became cameras, as larger, more
cumbersome cameras were merely excess baggage. As we
scouted, we shared techniques, tools and ideas for how to
do our jobs better, more efficiently and to help tell the story
better. The organic nature of teaching and learning was
yielding results.
Of all the fabulous options to film—the places we scouted
and ideas shared—I would say the most impactful aspect
was the Kurdish people. Their generosity and hospitality
were overwhelming. It became a joke that if I complimented
something, that item quickly turned into a gift. An offhand
comment about a glass jar on a windowsill filled with bright
orange marigolds led to me carrying the bouquet back
to the hotel, like a May Day flower girl. The Kurds opened
their doors freely to us, offering tea and respite, restrooms
and fruit—whatever need was sensed and then some. This
kindness, seemingly second nature among the Kurds, was
another unexpected lesson in humility and gratitude. It
makes us all think—as location managers—whether a simple
knock on our backdoor would garner the same warmth and
openness.
John and I were tasked with teaching local Kurdish
filmmakers how and what would be expected if a large-scale
Western production came to Kurdistan. In the end, our time
together became an absolute sharing of processes, thoughts
and ideas—less teaching and more cultural exchange.
And now, as I write this, the United States and Israel are
weeks into a war with Kurdistan's neighbor, Iran. Bombs are
dropping in the region. Iran is retaliating against the Iranian
and Iraqi Kurds. My new friends and our fellow filmmakers in
Slemani are caught in the middle. They have worked so hard
"For me, the most powerful lesson is that not only are we storytellers, but we are also history
keepers. Beyond our immediate work as location managers in the entertainment industry, we are
recording history. We capture places in time with our photos, our maps, the connections we make
and the people we meet…"
–Andrea Keener/LMGI
