What is Granito: Every Memory Matters? Granito: Every Memory Matters (GEMM) is a sister project to the film Granito: How to Nail a Dictator. GEMM is designed to assist in the recovery of a collective memory of the Guatemalan people, both in Guatemala and amongst the 1.3 million Guatemalans living in the diaspora in the US.
Img. 1-1 mapa y sitio de internet del proyecto
I n G ua t e m a l a a nd i n t he U S , G E M M w i l l w or k c l os e l y w i t h e s t a b l i s he d orga ni z a t i ons a l re a d y i nv ol v e d i n t r ut h a nd j us t i c e s e e k i ng p roj e c t s . G E M M w i l l a l s o re l y on us e r- ge ne r a t e d c ont e nt — a ny one w ho w i s he s t o s ha re m e m or i e s , or i nt e r v i e w fr i e nd s a nd fa m i l y, c a n c ont r i b ut e t o t he a rc hi v e . The p roj e c t w i l l b e i m p l e m e nt e d a nd d r i v e n b y a M e m or y Te a m , l e d b y a c ore s t a ff i n t he U .S . a nd G ua t e m a l a t ha t w i l l a c t a s a b r i d ge b e t w e e n p a r t i c i p a nt s i n t he U S G ua t e m a l a n d i a s p or a a nd t hos e l i v i ng i n G ua t e m a l a . The M e m or y Te a m w i l l a c t a s l i a i s ons , fa c i l i t a t or s , t r a i ne r s , a nd w i l l a s s i s t c om m uni t i e s i n t he c ol l e c t i on of m e m or i e s t o b e hous e d i n t he m e m or y a rc hi v e .
What are our objectives? 70% of thepopulation is under 30 and know little about those dangerous times of the armed conflict in Guatemala. This dark period of history in Guatemala’s recent past is shrouded in silence and there is little education about the genocideal war against the indigenous population. For this reason, GEMM is especially interested in engaging with the next generation in Guatemala. GEMM provides tools for the recovery of memories related to the armed conflict in Guatemala spanning from 1976-1985 that took the lives of an estimated 200,000 people and disappeared another 45,000.
What do we hope to accomplish? The memories recorded during this project might be in the form of short videos, photographs, letters, music, or even a text message about a love one lost. All the media generated through this project will flow into an online interactive website that will serve as a public archive; each memory will be rendered highly searchable through embedded tags as well as visualized in an interactive map and timeline. The website itself will be a solemn memorial to the past, but it will also serve as proof of the resilience and strength of the Guatemalan people. By harnessing the power of memory, facilitating an intergenerational exchange, and making it all available in an online public archive for the next generation, we hope tocontribute to the long-term goal of establishing national reconciliation through what Guatemalans call “La Concordia”, the building of a harmonious future.
We invite you to contribute your “Granito de Arena” to this project with the hope of building a new collective memory and open dialogue on the atrocities in the past. We hope that is part of “Team Memory” and contribution to the collection of videos, either from friends, loved ones, or members of the community or even their own memories about the past.. - P a m e l a Ya t e s , P a c o d e O ni s , y P e t e r Ki noy c re a t or s of “ G r a ni t o: E v e r y M e m or y M a t t e r s ”
GR A N ITO EVERY MEMORY MATTER S
Gu id e f o r t h e co llect io n o f m em o r ies
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INT ERV I E W TH E QU ES T ION:
F RA M E Y O U R S H O T:
Is t here a m e m o r y o r e xp e r i en c e th at y ou w ou ld lik e to share t hat d e m o n s t r a t e s t h e impac t of th e ar me d c on flic t ( or per iod o f v i o l e n c e ) o n yo u o r y ou r family ?
Sta y c lose (me d ium to c lose - up shot) a nd ste a d y your shot a s muc h a s p ossib le . Fra ming is imp orta nt!
Th is can b e so m e t h i n g yo u ex pe r ie n c e d pe r s on ally, or a st o ry p as s e d o n t o yo u .
FILMING TIPS
L O OK AND L I S TEN CA RE F U L LY: 1 . L I G H T: F i n d a w e l l - l i t s pace. F i l m o u tdo o rs , du ri n g th e d a y, i f p o s s i b l e . B e s u re th e l i g h t i s s h i n n i n g beh i n d y o u a n d i s o n y o u r s u bj ects f ace. 2. SOUND: F i n d a q u i t e p l a c e to f i l m . S tay cl o s e to yo u r s u bj e c t a n d p a y a t t e n ti o n to n o i s e. (U s e h eadph o n es t o l i st e n i f p o ss i b le)
SET UP Y OUR S HOT:
• Choos e a p l a c e w i t h a n i n t eres ti n g backg ro u n d • K eep y ou r c a m e r a S T E A D Y: On ce yo u s et u p yo u r s h o t,
don’t move t h e c a m e r a !
Opt ion A
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Be sure to a sk e ve ryone if the y would like to c ontrib ute the se ma te ria ls (e ve n those inte rvie we d on c a me ra ). The p e rson inte rvie we d ma y not wa nt to b e filme d . THEY ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTI ON OF ANONI MI TY. Give the m the op tion of b e ing a ud io re c ord e d , or simp ly c ontrib uting ite ms suc h a s • • • • • • •
Le tte rs Music Poe ms Photogra p hs Pe rsona l ob je c ts V id e os e tc ...
Op tion B
How to c a p ture the se ob je c ts? The id e a l wa y to c a p ture the se ob je c ts is to use a sc a nne r (for p hotogra p hs or d oc ume nts) or to ta ke a p hotogra p h of the ob je c t. Inte r vi e wer
I n terviewee
I n t e rv ie we r
I n t e rv ie we e
Be sure to ta ke note s on e ve rything tha t a c c omp a nie s the inte rvie w. GR A N ITO EVERY MEMORY MATTER S
Gu id e f o r t h e co llect io n o f m em o r ies
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