Soraya

Soraya Umewaka is a social artist who received her A.B. degree in Comparative Politics from Princeton University in 2006. Upon winning Princeton University’s Labouisse Fellowship in 2006, she made documentaries of the UNV’s (UN Volunteers’) social development projects in the slums of the northeast of Brazil. Independently, for six months, she filmed youths and women in favelas of Rio de Janeiro. In 2007, she filmed refugee camps in Colombia and Nepal. She gives priority to establishing a strong connection and friendship with the local people before filming in order to empower and humanize the voice of her subjects. Through the medium of documentary film-making, she raises awareness on a wide range of social issues and raises funds for educational scholarships. With grants from Princeton, she has made various short documentaries across the globe, with a focus on at-risk youths. She has made ‘Afghanistan Unveiled’ (2003, Kabul, Afghanistan), ‘Lost Voices’ (2004, Beirut, Lebanon), ‘One Day Along the Mekong River’ (2005, Phnom Penh, Cambodia), ‘Monica's Sembradores, ‘Carapicuiba’ (second most violent favela of Sao Paolo, 2006), Microfinance Initiative in Rio’s favelas,’ (Rio, Brazil, 2007), ‘UNV Civil Cooperation’ (Bahia, Brazil, 2007) and ‘Street Witness (Quito, Ecuador), which has been selected by the 2008 Miami International Film Festival, and 2008 NY Latino Film Festival.