Concerned Citizen - Liam Isaac

    It is quite common for the best people, for those that make the biggest differences in the lives of individuals and communities, to go unnoticed. Even more so when the individuals work with those who are shamed by the community and wish to be anonymous. Their stories often go untold. Some of those great heroic individuals are those who serve in the Addiction Recovery Program. Brother and Sister Fiefield have served those with addiction and the loved ones of those with addiction, for years unrecognized. Hours and hours every week are spent comforting and giving hope to those in need, both in their family and in the community. They have been a support to hundreds over the years, and yet in their humility, don’t see themselves as having that big and impact.

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    We chose to document the Fiefields using audio rather than video to capture the anonymous nature of their service as well as the humility of their personalities. Those they serve are often unknown and invisible in the community, but the impact they have is huge in shaping that community. The “ripple effect,” as they called it, is what makes the biggest impact in a community. They fear that shame of what addicts do are causing them to isolate themselves from the community, and they hope to help the addicts overcome that and renter the community with confidence. As Goldbard stated: “The antidote...is a culture that prizes connection and creativity.” The strive to reconnect those who have lost connection through growing confidence through honesty and anonymity. We harnessed the audio to help represent that.
    We were also greatly inspired by the videos shown in class of LDS women sharing their personal stories. While we didn’t introduce and close our video with ourselves, we found the style of the absence of the interviewer during the actual story to be quite powerful. With the Fiefield’s speaking directly to the audience, it makes the story more personal and powerful. Even though the couple was reluctant to talk about themselves and give themselves credit, their strength and impact can still come across. As in the Mormon Message “Abide with Me,” they don’t have to boast of themselves, or even be seen as the main characters, for their strength and importance to the community to be obvious to the audience.
    Those enslaved to addiction are often seen as the lowest of the low in modern communities, yet the Fiefield’s are there offering love, support, and hope. They work to bring freedom and friendships to those who have lost everything. They help mend hearts and give strength to try again. And they do it all without drawing attention to themselves. There could be no better people to focus on then them, and no better way to document it than a faceless, yet personal, story.