Failure is a part of growth. I remember when I thought I had the ending to my documentary Sudan’s Invisible War. There was a powerful ending of Waly turning into this community leader, but then the war broke out. I felt I had failed because I hadn’t planned for what the next chapter would be; I didn’t even know how to prepare for something like this or where to begin. I failed to get grants because, who would want to support someone going into a conflict zone? But I eventually learned to adapt and find my way back into the story. Even though it’s not complete, I know that it tells a much stronger story than I would ever have thought.
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Jordan Siegel.
Jordan Siegel is a photojournalist and filmmaker focusing on refugees and social & political issues throughout the MENA region. This passion has taken her to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Syrian border, South Sudan, Sudan, Israel, and the West Bank. Jordan’s multimedia work has appeared in multiple publications and exhibitions worldwide.
Siegel is currently working on a documentary, “Sudan’s Invisible War: A Refugee’s Journey for Asylum.” She is among the few filmmakers who achieved rare access inside Darfur’s civil war. Siegel spent weeks on end embedded with a community that showed her what life is like living inside this invisible war.
In addition to her documentary, Siegel has contributed to various humanitarian organizations in Sudan and has helped build cases targeting war crimes, which she documented during her time filming in Darfur. She is currently giving public lectures about her experience witnessing Sudan’s political turmoil and humanitarian crises.
As Siegel’s documentary heads into post-production, she still plans on visiting Sudan’s borders to continue documenting the war as it unfolds. For now, she hopes that her film will bring more awareness to Sudan’s political crises.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
Thank you so much for having me. I’ve been a professional documentary photographer for over 13 years and decided to pursue photojournalism in 2015. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always been very curious about the world, and hearing other people’s stories. My parents told me that at a very young age I would walk up to random strangers and start a conversation with them, which my parents were not too keen about. So, wanting to hear other people’s stories at such a young age allowed me to become the storyteller that I am now.
In the summer of 2015 I moved to Israel, where I decided to document the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. I would look at my photographs and say to myself “Wow! I wish people would see the backstory behind this photo, or the characters that were involved when taking this photograph.” I got involved with filmmaking at the end of 2015; I joined a film crew who were making a documentary about asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea living in Israel.
From there I fell in the art of filmmaking. The ability to express individualities and to tell stories that show all sorts of elements with a range of characteristics became another tool that I wanted to use in storytelling.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I met many interesting and inspiring people while filming my documentary, Sudan’s Invisible War. I immersed myself with Waly (my friend who is the protagonist of my film) and his family and their community in South Darfur. The first time I visited Darfur back in 2021, Waly’s village had been ambushed by the militia group, the Janjaweeds, three weeks before my arrival. They witnessed horrible atrocities. They saw their neighbors being killed and slaughtered and watched their homes and livestock being burnt to ashes, forcing them to leave.
Waly’s brother, Mubarak, and I became very close. He was so joyful, with high energy, and he was always laughing and making jokes. He carried a positive energy within him that was contagious. However, he had just witnessed his entire village being completely destroyed, and saw his neighbors being slaughtered by the Janjaweeds just three weeks earlier. So I asked him, “How are you able to remain so positive and happy after witnessing such atrocities?” he replied “I have my body and my health and my family. That’s all I need in order to be happy.”
I also met a young woman, Entisar. Every day she would come to the backyard of Waly’s house, where a lot of ritual activities were performed daily, hosted by Waly‘s wife. She always came over smiling and dancing. She would dance, making others around her want to dance as well. And even though we couldn’t communicate with one another we would laugh uncontrollably about little silly dances we came up with together. And her endless jokes had everyone laughing. Her resting face had a slight smile to it and you could feel her love just by sitting next to her. In my last week in Darfur, I filmed in one of the IDP (internally displaced people) camps. There I found Entisar and her five children all living in a makeshift tent covered in holes. She had virtually no food. The roof was comprised of a makeshift tarp that barely provided shelter. She didn’t have any food other than the spices in the cabinet. They literally had nothing. One of her babies had some sort of eye disease that was visible, but I’m unsure of his condition.
She could see that I was visibly upset to see her situation and tried to comfort me with her smile. I’m not sure where she is now, as communication has been affected due to the war in Darfur. But I think about her all the time, especially when I feel like I am struggling with the small things they don’t really matter.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
Dorothea Lange was really the one that inspired me to get into photojournalism years ago. The way she captured the great depression gave us a painfully painted description of what was known to be one of the most devastating moments in our history. She captured those who felt depleted and alienated by the world around them and gave them a voice that impacts the way we understand that part of history and will continue to do so for generations. She documented them in a way that wasn’t exploitive and didn’t force her own narrative. You can tell she built a connection with those she photographed, which allowed her to capture their strength and vulnerability. She’s also a badass. She was diagnosed with polio when she was a young girl and walked around with a limp, but still ran around carrying a field camera while taking iconic photographs which still stand up to this day. She truly inspires me, especially during moments when I feel like giving up.
Les Blank’s films changed the course of documentaries. He showed us that focusing on the small details around us is key when it comes to storytelling. He usually filmed unmarked territories of indigenous people but didn’t target or objectify them, which can be dehumanizing. Instead, he focused on the small details of the environment he was in, showing us how unique and special the land was.
Tim Hetherington is one of my favorite photojournalist/filmmakers — for many reasons. For one, the kind of humanity that he carried really inspired me, not just to be a great photographer, but to be a great human being in general. He embedded with his topics completely, showing a limitless connection between him and his audience.
Hetherington’s documentary, Restrepo, was one of the rawest and most sincere documentaries in my personal opinion. He showed the core truth of what it was like to be deployed in one of the most dangerous locations in Afghanistan: the Korigul valley. His dedication to the troops in Afghanistan showed the way he was connected with the soldiers there. The soldiers were honest and truthful, projecting a vulnerability we don’t usually see in the news or mainstream media. He went on to show this through his photo series, “Sleeping Soldiers.” It led to the awakening of what these men were going through in Afghanistan and the trauma they sacrificed in order to serve our country.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview: How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
I hope that my film can bring goodness to the world by raising more awareness of the situation that is happening right now in Sudan. I had the honor to gain limited access to Darfur and was welcomed in by a community that allowed me to stay and document their stories. Some of them had never interacted with a foreigner before. They knew that I was privileged. They knew that I would eventually go back home to a place that had air conditioning and access to basic necessities, and that I would never have to fear about my home getting attacked by armed groups. Despite knowing this, they not only accepted me but loved me as one of their own. It took a while for me to get over the guilt, but once I did, the experience profoundly changed the way I look at life.
I got to see a different side to Darfur than the one that is often presented. I got to see the beauty and strength of the people there. I witnessed the similarities that we all share and their hopes and dreams. I had the honor to see the vibrant culture that they honor and cherish through ritual activities that strengthen their camaraderie. Though the film shows the conflict that is surrounding them and the dire economic situation, the truly powerful moments were in the tribalism.
So I am hoping this film doesn’t only raise awareness of what has been happening in Darfur; I hope to have an audience that will build a deeper connection with the culture, the people and the landscape. I hope that the film shows that Darfur isn’t just about famine, poverty, and war. I want people to walk away feeling inspired by the strength and perseverance from the people of Darfur.
Even though my documentary hasn’t been released yet, I have still received international attention. I have given a few lectures about the situation in Sudan and about what I had witnessed while filming in Darfur. With my ties and connections within Sudan I have also been able to connect with many of the NGOs who are working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid for those who have fled from Sudan. I became a project manager with one NGO in Darfur. We helped build facilities under the WASH ( Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) program sponsored by IOM around various dire locations in South Darfur. It felt very rewarding to be a part of such a wonderful, noble organization.
I’m also trying to go back to do some investigative work on various cases throughout Sudan. This is what I’m trying to implement myself with the hope of going back sometime next year.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. But you did. Was there an “Aha” moment that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
Knowing I had such unique access to make a film about Darfur, I did everything I could to make this film happen.
It all started in 2020, when my friend Waly (my protagonist) told me he was going back to Darfur. He told me that he was sick and tired of being treated like an animal living in Israel, a country which never gave him any sort of refugee visa. He wanted to start a family of his own and felt the only way he could accomplish that was to return back home to his childhood friend whom he married virtually.
I tried for many days to convince him not to go back to Darfur. At the time we were witnessing a huge wave of new violence that showed signs of new civil war approaching. It was during the time when the civil government of Sudan was unable to support the UN African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which was tasked with protecting African tribes in Darfur from violence, and transitioning to a joint UN-AU peace-keeping mission. However, this plan failed, allowing the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to move in and take control. This led to a significant increase in violence in Darfur and, following a political chess game over the next year.
Despite this shift in Sudan’s political violence, Waly was still determined to go back. When I couldn’t convince not to go, I asked if I could go with him to film his story. His reply was “I was hoping you would say that.” I had an opportunity I don’t think many filmmakers have had: I was about to be embedded in my friend’s tribe in one of the most restricted and conflicted areas of the world. Once I received the funds, I took this story and ran as fast as I could with it.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
I think strengthening private sanctions and targeting illicit financial flows coming into Sudan. This would help weaken both opposing sides from exacerbating this war and the possible threat of a regional war. The government should find sufficient ways to support humanitarian aid missions who were previously affected by US sanctions, and to provide enough support for the return of UN-AU peacekeeping forces back to Darfur.
There are many things people can do to help. First, they can raise awareness of the situation that’s happening now in Sudan, and support grass-root NGOs that are there on the ground delivering aid and housing. Some of the bigger organizations like IOM can provide not just humanitarian aid, but support certain grass root NGOs operating specific projects that have huge impacts on providing essential resources. Second, learn about what’s currently happening in Sudan and help spread awareness using social media.
What are your “Five things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Failure is a part of growth.
I remember when I thought I had the ending to my documentary Sudan’s Invisible War. There was a powerful ending of Waly turning into this community leader, but then the war broke out. I felt I had failed because I hadn’t planned for what the next chapter would be; I didn’t even know how to prepare for something like this or where to begin. I failed to get grants because, who would want to support someone going into a conflict zone? But I eventually learned to adapt and find my way back into the story. Even though it’s not complete, I know that it tells a much stronger story than I would ever have thought.
Networking is more than just a handshake or passing out a business card.
It is learning how to build a professional relationship with someone, and learning from others that might help you in the future. I met a lot of people working for grassroots NGOs in Sudan. We exchanged favors that in return helped me tremendously with gathering information for my film. It was a good lesson of building meaningful connections with others when networking.
Take time for self-care.
Projects like this can consume you without self-care. Filming in Sudan is an honor and a huge responsibility, as people trusted me with their stories. Early on, I didn’t check in with myself, this led to burnout that impacted my work. Seeing a therapist changed everything — it made me a better filmmaker, person, and friend to myself. We often take on extreme stories and forget their impact on us. Always check in with yourself and do what you need to in order to stay balanced.
You won’t see immediate results.
Working on this film has had its ups and downs. There have been many barriers to the making of it. And I’m still in the project development stage. I haven’t seen immediate results the way that I was hoping. I have had to keep reminding myself that results just don’t happen immediately; they take time. It’s hard to remind yourself that when you want to get the message out there as soon as possible. I think your work unfolds in unexpected timelines; so just enjoy the journey.
Invest in the services of a lawyer before signing any contract.
Always write up a contract before you agree to work with someone. My documentary, Sudan’s Invisible War: A Refugee’s Journey for Asylum, is my first future-length documentary. As rewarding as this may be, it also made me a target for others to take advantage of me. Having contracts allowed me to navigate comfortably with people who want to work on this documentary with me.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society like you, what would you tell them?
Engaging with the world’s challenges can make you view the world differently and yourself. It helps you define the core values in your life and develop a moral compass to guide you forward. I know the sounds cliché, but when you get involved — whether with environmental or social issues, you will naturally begin to view the world through a different lens.
Also, know you may not see the impact that you make, especially on a global scale. However, even if you don’t see the effects you made, it doesn’t mean your work is insignificant. Sometimes, the work you put in may seem like small ripples, but those ripple effects can lead to meaningful change in a family or an individual or even help spark new environmental projects. So it’s essential to understand your work always matters to someone, somewhere, in ways you may not see yet.
We are very blessed that many other social impact heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Jane Ferguson, Clarissa Ward, Ami Vitale, Mariana van Zeller, Jan Goodwin, and Lynsey Addario.
I find each one of these women to be extraordinary; they have always inspired me in the work that I do out in the field through their triumphs, loyalty, morals, and values. Whenever I feel any doubts or insecurities about my work — especially as a woman — I always go back on their work to look for inspiration.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The greatest enemy of truth is not the lie — deliberate, contrived, and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.” — JFK
I think it emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of documenting conflict. Myths are more subtle and ingrained within our culture or society, and they can shape people’s experiences, distorting reality and preventing a proper understanding. A popular myth when you mention countries like Sudan is that the region is uniformly impoverished and conflict-ridden. This myth oversimplifies the complexity and doesn’t look at the diversity, resilience, and development efforts taking place across the country.
I hope my work dismantles these types of myths by creating a better understanding of the human experience. I’m more interested in people’s stories, their resilience, and how they survive and keep sane under challenging situations. My documentary, Sudan’s Invisible War is less about the war itself. I embedded myself within the community, documenting their daily lives and focusing on the commonalities we all share. By doing this, I captured the truth behind this war, which a broader narrative has overshadowed. As a storyteller, I plan to continue to thrive more on human engagement rather than the broader narrative, where myths are easily implemented for our personal justification.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow me on my instagram page where I post about my work and up-and-coming endeavors @jordansiegels_photography. You can also go to my website www.jordansiegelphotography.com or email me at [email protected]
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Thank you again for having me.
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Filmmaker Jordan Siegel Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.