Director finds hope in Africa

Nathan Rissman, 36, has worked for Madonna as a researcher, an art director and a gardener. Those jobs led to another one for the Seattle native -- directing her documentary, "I Am Because We Are," about the orphans of Malawi. Rissman, who'll be at the Traverse City Film Festival, talked about going to Africa and finding hope in the heart of despair.
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QUESTION: How did filming in Malawi and meeting the people affect you personally?

ANSWER: I was always honored to be sharing my life with them and having them share their lives with me. But it was definitely an emotional rollercoaster. I think there were about four subjects that we were working with that died during the course of our filming. That's absolutely heart-wrenching ... especially in extreme poverty, when AIDS and tuberculosis and such horrible things are causing people to die really, really early.

Q: How much time did you spend there?

A: Over the course of two years, I went there about nine or 10 times. The longest I was there was two months and the shortest was three weeks.

Q: Did one thing in particular strike you about life there?

A: It was really shocking to see people living in such desperate conditions. But I also, over time, began to notice that the more you find yourself in extreme poverty, the more humanity you find ... the more honesty, the more love.

Q: What will people take home with them after seeing the documentary?

A: That we're all connected, that we're all part of problems throughout the world, no matter if it seems far away. We all have a responsibility to deal with, to discuss these problems. I would hope people would come for the celebrity or whatever, but go away with a different attitude, with an empowerment, feeling like they can make a difference.

Q: It sounds as if you leave with a lot of hope, is that fair to say?

A: Correct. Whilst Madonna and I were making this film, we definitely wanted to show both sides of the coin. There are many documentaries that just present a problem. We really wanted to take people on an emotional journey, to also show them the beauty and joy that exists there.

Q: You've done a lot of different jobs for Madonna. What's she like to work for?

A: Madonna's great to work for. ... She wanted me to help her out on a bunch of different levels and I never said no. ...We just developed a really good friendship between the Ritchies and the Rissmans. She believed in me and she thought I could bring something to the project.