Scribble marks on the page, smudge marks on my face

I officially feel like a writer. The evenings see me sitting at my desk with the light of my lamp shining on my documentary script and my frustrated face. There are pencil and pen marks all over my revised script and every now and then I notice smudge marks on my cheek where I have been holding up my head as the hours slowly turn closer to 3am than I think. At this point, all I can say is that the creation and revision of a paper edit has officially become the hardest part of my documentary making process. 

I write, scratch out and re-write narration for the documentary. I feel moments of inspiration when I see the interview material from the women I have interviewed and there is hope! Here is a sneak peak of the opening of my doccie:

(Bikitsha): "When I was young I wanted to be in the military. I wanted maybe when there 100 years,when they talked about the people who defended the country, I wanted to be one of them."

(Zuma): When you join the defence force, it’s like a different ball game in a way... Most people have said that it’s a, being here it’s not just about getting employed, they refer to it as a calling because at the end of the day, you leave everything that you’ve known or you’re used to, and you sacrifice just for the well-being of the country... and it pays off. 

Actuality such as this has allowed my narration to be guided and moulded to where the documentary will go next. I like to think that Bikitsha and Zuma's words have the power to guide my thinking therefore the process of creating a paper edit has become a mutual process between myself and the five women. They may not realise it, but they are still helping me in this process even as I sit alone in the early hours. I feel that the content is quite sound and that these women have played their roles, but my work has only just begun.

This week has seen many tears surrounding this project. It has been a taxing week regarding this stage of the process but it is getting there. I have reverted to using a pencil to write out my narration as opposed to typing it and talking out loud to myself. I think this helps my focus and ensures that my narration is in line with how I actually talk, as well as hearing if it fits into the piece as a whole. I also have to keep reminding myself to yes, be an observer in the documentary, but to not place myself in it as having experienced things like the Fittest Soldier Competition. At least I am aware of these issues in the documentary and that allows me reflect and review my narration constantly. A good practice to adopt.

The next step of the process is to cut all the clips, place them in order and record my narration. By the end of the weekend, I will have a documentary about women in the sixth South African battalion and I will sip on a Hunters Dry in celebration.

Nadia