What is it like to win an Emmy? SLCC student Valene Peratrovich has an idea. She is a co-producer of the film "Diverted," which recently won a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) award, considered an equivalent to an Emmy for film students. Along with Valene, seven other SLCC students, co-producer McCaulee Blackburn and crew members Kolby Butts, Chris Kirkham, Cristian Martinez, Tristin McCarthy, Preston Buttars, and Chris McAllister—were thrilled to learn that their film took first place, beating competitors from schools like BYU.
The film highlights the collective approach of Indigenous people to land stewardship and addressing environmental issues. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of all natural things. For Valene, honoring the Lake and advocating for its spirit were her primary motivations for working on the project. She hopes the film will help to gather enough support to have the Lake officially recognized as an entity with rights, a concept known as personhood, which would allow for more rigorous legal protections.
Each year, students in the film class propose projects and then vote on which film they will ultimately produce. Initially conceived by co-producer McCaulee Blackburn, Diverted quickly garnered support from other students in their film class. McCaulee approached Valene to provide voice-over work for the film who was initially excited about the opportunity. However, as the project gained momentum, she began to have second thoughts.
Valene says she opposed the proposal for "Diverted" when it was put to a vote because she felt as though she hadn’t done enough in the past to help The Great Salt Lake and didn't feel worthy to be its voice. "I voted against it because I feared we might not be able to do the film—and the Great Salt Lake—the justice it deserves," Valene explained. When the project was ultimately chosen, she decided to channel her feelings into action.
The documentary begins with Valene quoting a Native American proverb: "We borrow the land from our children." Valene expresses how deeply she resonates with the moral responsibility conveyed in those words, which motivated her during moments of doubt throughout the project. She shares an experience she had during the filming with her two children, who joined her on-site at the Great Salt Lake to fly drone cameras. In that moment, she reflected on the sadness of passing on a dying lake to future generations. For her, this was clear evidence that the current generation and those before it had not been responsible caretakers of the land and the lake and that a different approach is needed.
Valene describes many such heartfelt moments during filming as they sought to do justice to telling the story of a dying lake. Throughout it all, however, she and her team felt reassured that they were doing the right thing. Valene says that they sensed that the spirit of The Lake was with them, pushing the project forward and expressing gratitude for their efforts to speak on The Lake’s behalf.
Along with the NATAS award, the SLCC students have been awarded a grant through the Salt Lake City Arts Council. This grant will be used for future projects, including case studies on the Indigenous personhood approach to managing natural resources.
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