The
project
“There are already hundreds of videos made about the EVS.
Nevertheless, I felt the need to swim a little bit deeper,
to focus on the inner process that a volunteer experiences, to show truly how this journey happens.
This is what I’ve tried to get from the interviews.
I’m pretty sure the deepest thoughts are still kept inside each of us, but that’s ok.”
THE CONCEPT
The inspiration of the project comes from the narrative concept of the Hero's Journey, held by Joseph Campbell, and its similarities with the process that a volunteer may experience. So the idea is to compare, not a volunteer with a hero, but the path and evolution of their journey.
What is the Heroe's Journey?
It is said to be the oldest tale ever told, and one of the most used story-telling structure. The Hero's Journey eplains a pattern that, in a general way, goes like this:
The main character is first presented in his own environment (comfort zone) until the adventure call comes.
Once this character starts the adventure, some challenges start to get in the way, he will need to face them to overcome them in order to get where he wants to get.
At the end of this adventure, something in this main character has changed, since all those challenges provided him a life-changing learning.
Once the adventure is over, he goes back to his previous environment, where everything may be the same, except him.
“Heroes take journeys,
confront dragons,
and discover the treasure
of their true selves”
- C. Pearson -
“Sometimes you need to see yourself reflected on others to be really aware of how you feel, how you think and who you are”
WHY FOR
The documentary is thought in two main different levels.
People who have never heard about the EVS will have the chance to know more about it and, hopefully, make the step to start their own journey as a European Volunteer.
Moreover, and since it tries to go deeper on the individual and inner process, it is thought to be an auto-reflection tool for actual volunteers, former volunteers, and all the people involved in this learning adventure. Seeing themselves reflected on the words of the volunteer’s may help them to think about their own journey.