Penelope Price discusses the philosophy
behind the making of Artist of Resistance .

Why did you make this film?

When I first read Claudia Bernardi's journal recounting the El Mozote massacre I realized it was a parable of colonization. Here was a story that turned the news of mass media into a private account, mere numbers of dead into real people we could have known and loved. I was compelled to create the most powerful statement I could against political and cultural repression.

How did you balance the needs of "getting the story" with the issues of exploitation?

This was a very delicate matter.   My cinematographer Luis Bohorquez and I discussed this before we left for El Salvador. We wanted to portray the people involved as distinct individuals not as faceless victims.   We did not want to perpetrate the oppressed/oppressor syndrome.   We photographed the people in compositions that would illustrate their nobility as well as empower them.   In the edit, we avoided the horrendous details of the massacre and used footage of the excavations sparingly.

What do you hope to achieve with this film?

I hope to open a dialog about the role of art in the fabric of culture, a conversation about moral repair and visionary alternatives.    By recording memories, artists resist oblivion and advocate profound social change. I want to bring Claudia's art, Rufina's story, to an audience who will see El Mozote as a metaphor for all the human rights abuses that occur in the world. And I hope those viewers will become global citizens and human rights activists.   As Claudia says in the film, "It is more urgent now that ever before.   We as citizens of the world cannot afford not to be Human Rights Activists."

What was the most difficult aspect of making this film?

The responsibility.   In each step of the process I have been overwhelmed by the sense of responsibility I feel to present this story.   I imagine myself as a conduit connecting the voices of the two main characters, Claudia and Rufina, and illustrating their strength and courage to a larger public in hopes that their efforts will incite discourse and a saner world.