The kiss; part of a series entitled Losing my Mother; a mother daughter journey through Dementia.

 

 

Statement of Intent

The Documentary Media MFA program will provide me with the opportunity to focus on a new project fully, to explore forms of documentary narrative new to me and study the role of photography in social change. In addition, it will give me the opportunity to gain inspiration from my peers and professors and give me critical insight into my work. Being a traditional photographer, I would like to experiment, push my boundaries, learn new skills in the digital realm, thereby aiding to convey the message effectively. I would like to explore film as a documentary medium and work with input from the subject in co- creating the narrative.

My project will be the documentation of the lives and work of women who have immigrated to Canada and established organizations to be of service to people. I plan to select six women, so that I can cover a broad range of educational, humanitarian, cultural, and environmental issues that touch upon areas such as wildlife conservation, aid to marginalized people or engagement with the community through arts programs. I have met such women and I think the story of their work, challenges, and accomplishments, deserves to be told. Within the project I would do both photo documentation and experiment with film. Ultimately, I envision this work as a series of articles, an exhibition, and screening. This is a first step in the kind of documentary work I plan to do and I would hope that one of the concrete benefits would be to bring the efforts of these women to the attention of people who would help fund their operations.

After completing my BAA, I freelanced, working with designers, corporate clients, and theaters. In 2003 I planned my first extensive trip to Ecuador and Peru. My love of travel and documentary photography was born, but unfortunately, the SARS epidemic forced me to cut my trip short and consequently severely affected my business. In need of change, I applied to work as an English teacher in Asia. It was to be a brief interlude, but turned into a fulfilling career that took me to 4 countries, yet ironically, away from photography. I put all my energy into teaching and excelled, becoming a Director of Studies, a Cambridge examiner, Team Leader and examiner trainer. As much as this unintended career took me away from photography, it did show me my love of learning, and what I can achieve when I set my mind to it.

In 2016 I re-started my business. Alas, my mother, diagnosed with dementia in 2010, began to decline rapidly. I found myself unable to focus on anything other than being present for her. I turned again to photography and documented her journey. By photographing her, I learned I could photograph the most difficult things and capture what had to be shown. I didn’t need to protect myself from harsh realities - my determination, sense of purpose, and my camera did that. The work has been exhibited and published online and I have been deeply touched by the effect my work has had on others. I have received recognition from my peers, people I respect and others touched by dementia. I feel this is a pivoting point in my career, renewing my faith in the purpose of photography and the path I need to take. 

My proposed project represents the amalgamation of my past experience and my future aspirations. My career objectives can best be defined in terms of a vocation that will engage both my creative and activist concerns. I understand the virtues of the didactic process and appreciate the process of critique and analysis in working towards a communicative goal. Much has changed since 1994, and in order to stay relevant, I need to continue learning. I have looked at the course descriptions and the professors; in particular, the Media Writing and the Socially Engaged Media courses will help direct my project. Dr. Doxtater and Dr. Fitzpatrick’s works are of great interest to me and I would love the opportunity to learn from them. Having graduated from the Ryerson Stills program, the MFA is the logical environment for me.

Katrin Faridani