Devin Gerety's film Lola is a Finalist at the 20th MY HERO Film Festival

Lola is a documentary film directed by Pierce Devin Gerety that was produced by DCTV Youth Media in 2023 and is a finalist at the MY HERO 20^th International Film Festival. The documentary is filmed from the perspective of a grandchild exploring his grandmother, Marie Mahila  Sudhir, and her legacy as an aid worker. 

Devin became intrigued by his grandmother's work when he found footage of his grandparents on a gorilla safari in Rwanda and wondered what they were doing in Rwanda. Says Devin in the film, " I asked my grandma if she had more tapes. She did. She had a lot more and so I spent the better part of a Friday going through her films."

The film cuts to Maria where she explains some of her work: "I do so many things. It's hard to know where to begin. The main work in my life has been as a humanitarian worker, kind of a grand word for helping children in adversity. Children who are encountering war. A lot of the time, it's armed conflict or natural disaster, like tsunami, earthquake, that sort of thing."

During the film, Marie recounts her experiences, particularly in 1994-1995 in Goma (then Zaire, now Congo) during the Rwandan genocide. Millions of Rwandan refugees, including many children, fled to Goma. Among the refugees were perpetrators of violence, complicating the humanitarian efforts.

Marie’s team photographed 13,000 unaccompanied children to help reunite them with their families. This process was challenging due to ethnic tensions and the need for discretion. Despite initial difficulties, families slowly began to recognize their children through the photos, rekindling hope and leading to reunifications.

Marie emphasizes the importance of focusing on the resilience and knowledge of those in distress. She advises asking questions that help them recall positive memories to restore their strength. She also stresses the necessity of humility and listening when working with different cultures, acknowledging that initial judgments are often flawed and that true understanding comes with time and openness to change.

Watch the film here:

MY HERO interviewed Devin about his filmmaking experience: 

Is this your first film?

No, this is not my first film. Another notable film I have made documents a classmate’s protest of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. 

Why were you drawn to making this film?

I have always admired Lola's work and felt a need to document or share it. When I found those tapes, I felt obligated to make something out of them and to share my Lola's story. 

What in your opinion is the importance of the film, and what are its strengths?

The importance of the film is to give a message to people who want to go into aid work and to capture a specific place in time. A core strength of this film is using the original footage of Rwanda and my Lola. Its strengths play to its message by showing what cannot properly be described with words. 

What are the issues that are most important to you (in general), and why?

Social issues are really important to me because they are the most pervasive issues that people face daily. 

Could you tell us about the process of making the film, who was on your team:

The process of making the film was exciting. Most of the footage was already shot on tape and needed to be digitized. The whole digitizing process took many weeks, and reviewing the footage took longer. My Lola helped me fill in important information and review the footage. 

My team consisted of myself, interviews with my Lola, and the wonderful people at DCTV like my instructors Keira Britt and Johnny Ramos who helped me edit. 

What was it like for you to make this film? What were some of the challenges, successes, and high points?

Working on this film was unlike working on another film I have created. Most of the footage was already shot, so my main job was to review and edit. It was difficult to review some of the footage’s content for hours, but I felt a need to tell my Lola’s story. A high point of the film was when I managed to edit down the hours of footage into 10 minutes I was happy with. 

What was it like working with DCTVNY

Working with DCTVNY has been amazing; they’ve taught me everything I know about filmmaking, and the people working there have always been generous with their time. I’m glad to have attended DCTVNY and gotten to know the amazing people who run it. 

About the MY HERO International Film Festival:

The My Hero Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more.

The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.

Join us in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival on November 16, 6pm @ the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Find out more HERE.

About DCTVNY

Since its founding in 1972, DCTVNY ( Downtown Community Television Center, New York ) has been New York City’s preeminent community of and for documentary storytellers. DCTV has grown from humble beginnings into a leading documentary production and film education center with a mission to catalyze, inform, and empower communities through filmmaking.

DCTV aims to provide professional training and tools, access to critical equipment, and public exhibition space in Manhattan. By doing so, it empowers youth, aspiring and emerging filmmakers, and communities of all backgrounds, giving them greater voice and platforms through documentary film.

DCTV Youth Media is a program that teaches New York City teenagers and young adults (ages 13 - 24) how to use media to tell important personal stories and help ignite social change. These programs are free and we encourage diverse students from all five boroughs, regardless of experience or background, to join participate. In addition to learning about filmmaking and creating original films, students receive mentorship, college counseling and opportunities for professional development in the media industry.

Student films have been broadcast on HBO and WNET, and students have won numerous awards for their films, including 4 local Emmy Awards, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Best Animation from the Tribeca Film Institute's Our City, My Story and an RFK Prize for Excellence in Journalism. In 2021, DCTV Youth Media premiered Covid Diaries NYC on HBO. 

Find out More: https://www.dctvny.org/