6/18/09

Final Project Outline and Invitation





The following is the project outline and the invitations I sent out for participation in the project:

Dear Friends,

For my final project I have decided to create a film about Santa Fe and the exchange program. The audience will be directed toward the urban planning department and its students at the University of Utah to encourage future participation in the program.

Instead of hearing me speak about my experience (which would be very boring), I feel that it would be much, much more valuable to the audience to hear from citizens from Santa Fe. So I am asking for your help in participating with this video.

I would like to schedule a time in the next week to meet with you and ask you a series of questions that will be used in the video. You may not be an expert in the areas that I am covering, but that does not matter. What matters for this project are the opinions and thoughts from everyone.

As for language, you all know that my Spanish is very limited, so I will be asking the questions in English. However, you are more than welcome to answer the questions in either Spanish or English. It will be no problem for me to add subtitles for this film.

The location of the interview will be up to you. I would like to have each set of interviews done in different places to add some variety to the film. I am happy to arrive at whatever destination and time is most convenient for you.

I have attached a list of questions that I will be asking for the film. Please look them over and start thinking about the responses you might give.

You are; of course, welcome to not answer all of them if you feel that they are too personal.

Please let me know what day and time will work best for you. I would like to start filming on Monday if possible and have everything done by Friday.

Thank you in advance for your help on this project. I am confident that through each of you, the people in Utah will be able to see why I have fallen in love with your city and your country.

Sincerely,

Nate Currey



Questions for the interviews:

· How has the history of Santa Fe helped shape its development?

· What are successes Santa Fe has had in planning throughout its history?

· What are mistakes that have been made with planning in Santa Fe?

· I will ask questions about specific projects going on in Santa Fe (if you do not know about them it is no problem):

- Redevelopment of the flood plain area

- Redevelopment of the rail yards

- Redevelopment of the docks

- North to South tree-lined avenues

- Regional municipal cooperation (Santa Fe – Parana)

- New Dock/Autopista to Parana

· What is your view of the rivers surrounding the area (Parana/Salado)?

- How can the water in the region be turned into an asset for:

§ Tourism?

§ Transportation?

§ Recreation?

· What are the barriers/dividing lines in the built environment of the city?

· How has your generation helped to shape Argentina/Santa Fe?

· How much did you learn about Argentina’s history in school?

· How has the military dictatorship affected attitudes in the country today?

· How has the military dictatorship affected your generation?

· Have your family or friends been affected by government kidnappings during the military rule?

· How do you think the period of military rule has affected current politics in Argentina/Santa Fe?

· How much power do you feel citizens of Argentina have over their government?

- Federal?

- Municipal?

· What do you love about Argentina?

· What do you love about Santa Fe?

· What are your hopes/dreams about Argentina’s future?

· What are your hopes/dreams about Santa Fe’s future?

· Why should planning students in Utah come to Santa Fe?

· If you could say one thing to students in the USA what would it be?

6/17/09

crucible of events


Sometimes it’s all just a little too much.

Too much to process . . .

Too much to feel . . .

Too much to experience . . .

. . . to take it all in at once.

This has been my experience so far in Argentina. For now, it is so difficult to express my thoughts in way that would do my emotions justice.

It is one of those kinds of experiences.

After 5 weeks in the country I have finally determined what my final projects will be. Along with the art project that I am working on (see last blog post), I will be interviewing an array of beautiful people, both old and young, men and women, students and professionals, straight and gay about their perspectives on life in Santa Fe and Argentina as a whole.

I hope to capture the joy and the pain, the victory and defeat and the overall attitude about what makes Argentina this incredible place that I have fallen so deeply in love with.

I would be curious to know what questions you would ask the people down here. Send me an email with your thoughts and I might include them in the film.

If you have not signed up on Facebook yet, my pictures are all uploaded there of the trip thus far. I hope you enjoy.

More soon . . .