NMSU student filmmakers ready to share documentaries at Gila centennial celebration
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – “The Gila Wilderness is an absolutely magical beautiful place of forest and mountains,” said Ilana Lapid, director of the Gila Film School.
New Mexico State University students have been filming the first designated wilderness for more than two years. “We are an example of what can happen when you protect public land or places that you love,” said Simon Sotelo, field producer.
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As part of a class assignment, six teams of film students working on six documentaries are highlighting different areas of the Gila National Forest with topics like the river, trout, legacies, and stewardship.
Another topic student Cherish Pena shares how the forest helped her through a hard time in her life. “I have struggled with mental health problems throughout my life with anxiety, depression, and going to the Gila I wanted to highlight the benefits of outdoor wilderness,” said Cherish Pena student at NMSU.
Another student, Julia De La O, covered fire management at the park when Black Fire hit the area in 2022. “Getting all the people talking about its pretty fresh in their minds we were able to get pretty good information on what had happened,” said De La O.
The film will include all of the six projects as well as a seventh piece, a behind-the-scenes of the 12 days the students spent putting this final film together, hoping to get the next generation out to the open space. “I really do hope that showing my story and experience can serve as inspiration for other people,” said Pena.
“Celebrating and encouraging and inviting people to come to the Gila to learn about conservation history,” said Lapid.
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