Project VoiceScape is a partnership with Adobe Youth Voices, PBS and POV to mentor today’s best young documentary filmmakers. Keep up with news from the filmmakers and their mentors on the Project VoiceScape blog.
Watch a clip from Madena Henderson’s Project VoiceScape documentary The Have and the Have Nots
Madena Henderson began her journey as a filmmaker when the pastor of her church suggested that she enroll in a youth program hosted by The Sanctuary For Independent Media, a filmmaking group located across the street from her church in Troy, New York.
Project VoiceScape filmmaker
Madena Henderson
Madena learned about Project VoiceScape from a media mentor at the Sanctuary, and she speaks with great enthusiasm about her participation in the program.
“My Project VoiceScape experience has been very rewarding,” she says. “I have been able to direct, edit and create a great piece with the help of my mentor, Angela Tucker (Election Day). It has been amazing to see my film come to life.”
It was in the process of applying for college that Madena found inspiration for making her film, The Have and the Have Nots.
“My film is about how many teens today may have the knowledge and desire to attend college, but may not have the money to attend an expensive school,” says Madena. “In going through all the steps to apply for college, I spend time looking at the prices [for tuition], and I thought to myself, this is going to be very expensive!”
Madena hopes her film will reach students who may come from financially challenged backgrounds, who cannot or do not want to assume a great amount of debt to pay for their college expenses. Her film seeks to show such people that limited financial circumstances should not put an end to the dream of attending college. Madena herself has ambitions to attend nursing school, with the intention of working in obstetrics or emergency care.
Follow the progress of all the Project VoiceScape filmmakers and their award-winning documentary mentors, along with videos and more behind the scenes coverage, at the Project VoiceScape blog.
