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Niklas and Morgan’s Diary – November 2, 2017
Morgan and Niklas’s Diary – November 2, 2017,
Niklas Bergman:
I am 25 years old and from Gothenburg, Sweden and am a film-maker and photographer. I first started photography when I was 12 years old, because I enjoyed “capturing things that I thought were beautiful”. I have always liked taking photos as a hobby, but never imagined that I would work with it. During junior high I held photo exhibitions and when I entered high school, I decided to take photography as an elective class. It always felt like something was missing while photographing, so I started filming, which was the missing piece. Filming to me meant that I could capture more than something beautiful, but actually capture feelings.
After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I started making short films during my travels to America, throughout Asia, and around Sweden and Europe. I realized that filming was my passion, and went on to school for documentary film-making. I studied for one year at Biskops Arnö in Uppsala, Sweden and then started work in making personal portraits, short films, advertisements and music videos. I first became involved with Lööf Foundation when I shot a short film for an exhibition of paintings held at Sophie’s house. Sophie and Morgan spoke to me about the work that they do in the Lööf Foundation and their project Home of Hope. I was very interested in the project and told them how cool I thought it was. They asked if I wanted to travel with to Nepal and make a documentary film for them and I immediately said yes!
I felt like I could actually appreciate, see, experience and jump into a different culture today as I was better rested compared to yesterday. I think it is really exciting to shoot and make these films because I appreciate every opportunity that I get in life to try new things, and explore things that you normally wouldn’t be able to do. That is what I love about film making, is because it takes you places and allows you to meet people on another level. What I do with film making is try to capture what is happening below the surface and capture the feeling.
I will be making two films during this trip. The first film is a general film about Home of Hope, daily life and the children that live at Home of Hope. The second film I am making is about the technical workshop that we are creating at the Ratankot school.
Morgan:
Today was shopping day in Kathmandu. We met with Shyam and went by Taxi to central Kathmandu where we could be able to find all tools that we needed for the technical workshop at the Ratankot school. We managed to shop for brooms, hand planers for wood, small axes to round wood, carving tools for wood, sand paper, tape measures, and clear glasses to protect the children’s eyes when working with the wood. For the sewing aspect of the workshop we got zippers, velcro, sewing needles, different buttons, and many pairs of scissors to cut fabric with.
Tomorrow we will continue shopping for the last items that we need in the technical workshop, as well as look at the tables and cabinets that we have ordered. I cannot wait to finish getting everything we need and start putting the classroom together. I really think that this classroom is going to be very beneficial for the school children and give them the knowledge and skills to be successful in their future. I am also really looking forward to seeing all of the children at Home of Hope again! I miss them all very much and am bubbling with excitement. I also can’t wait for them to meet Niklas, as I feel they will be very interested in him and all of his filming gear!
Niklas and Morgan
