Ordinary, Extraordinary Changemakers Series – Pt. 12

Eva Karene Romero left a career in academia to search for a new path that would allow her to make an impact on her community and the world in a way that made sense to her.

Never imagining she had what it would take to be a film director, she used the skills she had acquired in academia and partnered with a director in Paraguay to make a documentary film about gender violence in her native country.

This is her story in her own words (edited for space and flow).

I got to a point in my career in academia where I felt like I didn’t have a future there. It was hard for me for a long time to figure out how my skills would transfer to something else, to what end, and what would make me happy. I wasn’t sure about the exact outcome that I wanted.

I dreamed of being a filmmaker but I never thought that would happen. I didn’t have the knowledge, I didn’t have the resources. I didn’t feel like I had the connections. I was like, maybe in some next life, or way in the future, I will be able to take a lot of time or money and put it towards a documentary film making course, workshop or degree.

You know, I didn’t need any of that. I didn’t need something so huge to learn. I’ve learned a lot by doing. I think what is killing us creatively is that we can’t move from the planning stage to the doing stage. 

The idea for Kuña started when I was writing my PhD dissertation about Paraguayan film. I became friends with a Paraguayan film director who was really intrigued by gender stuff but he didn’t really have a handle on the issue or an entry point. We got the idea that it would be cool if we directed a documentary together.

Fingers crossed, the film will be done this year.

Follow Eva’s story about Kuña on Facebook.

Kirsten Bunch is the author of the international bestselling book "Next Act, Give Back." After a 20-year career in global development, where she fund-raised over $20 million and designed and managed social change programs in 10 countries, Kirsten reinvented herself and invented The Women's Changemaker Mentorship™. This is a one-of-a-kind program that propels successful women to become Changemakers in their communities. Her clients find deeper meaning and fulfillment in their lives through a more profound connection with their community. Many of her clients start heart-centered businesses, organizations and passion projects that create healthier, safer and more equitable communities.

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