Lesbos Prefecture, Lesbos, Greece
1 review$300 - $1000 / Day
A DIRECTOR, MEDIA ARTIST AND VETERAN MEDIA EDUCATOR, DOUGLAS HAS BEEN GUIDING YOUTH AND REFUGEES IN DEVELOPING MEDIA CREATION SKILLS FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO DECADES. TO THIS END HE FOUNDED ROUGH CUT MEDIA, WHICH FIGHTS FOR EQUITY IN ACCESS TO MEDIA CREATION TOOLS BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. IN 2016 HE SET OFF TO FOLLOW THE PATH MOST REFUGEES HAVE TRAVERSED OVER LAND AND SEA TO REACH SAFETY IN EUROPE AND CLAIM ASYLUM. HIS PHOTO SERIES ON INSTAGRAM #INTHEIRFOOTSTEPS (@DFHERMAN) SERVED AS THE FOUNDATION FOR A YEAR-LONG CASE STUDY INSIDE CLASSROOMS, AND THE CONTINUATION OF THIS CRISIS PROMPTED HIM TO RETURN FULL-TIME TO THE FRONTLINE ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF LESVOS. ALONG WITH FELLOW HUMANITARIANS DOUGLAS COFOUNDED REFOCUS MEDIA LABS TO ENSURE THAT REFUGEES AND THOSE LIVING THIS CRISIS HAVE A PLATFORM TO SHARE THEIR STORIES AND DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL MEDIA CREATION SKILLS TO SECURE FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. ”IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS ALL ABOUT BRINGING THE CRISIS TO MY CLASSROOM SO MY STUDENTS COULD CONNECT WITH THOSE LIVING IT EVERY DAY. BUT NOW IT’S ABOUT BRINGING THE CLASSROOM TO THE CRISIS, BECAUSE THEY DESERVE THE SAME LEVEL OF ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE ENJOY. WITHOUT EQUAL OPPORTUNITY NOTHING CHANGES.” IN 2019, DOUGLAS DIRECTED THE FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY "EVEN AFTER DEATH" WITH THE ADVANCED STUDENTS OF REFOCUS MEDIA LABS CHRONICLING THE STRUGGLES OF IDENTIFYING MISSING MIGRANTS WHO DIE ATTEMPTING TO REACH EUROPE BY CROSSING THE MEDITERRANEAN.
April • 2020
Great collaborating with Refocus Media Lab students on the ground reporting on the front lines of Moria Camp. Doug and his team delivered plenty of broll and creative shots despite the increasingly insecure circumstances within Moria camp while prioritizing safety for his team. Doug is professional and communicative and a passionate storyteller. He is well connected in Lesvos for stories relating to the refugee crisis/ tensions on the island of Lesvos/ life inside Moria Camp.
"Even After Death" a feature documentary chronicling the crisis of identifying missing migrants who die in attempts to cross Mediterranean. This immersive documentary centers on the underreported stories of those who die at sea, and the systems in place to process the unidentified in Greece.
Produced for Al Jazeera English - Digital
Documentary director of photography for news piece of peaceful protest responded to violently by Greek riot police on the island of Lesvos.
Produced for BBC News
Documentary news piece raising awareness of the dire conditions asylum seekers face in camps ill-prepared for an outbreak of COVID-19.
Produced for Bloomberg Originals Shorts
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