The Brunel Museum have been hosting an exciting film project exploring the experiences of Women in STEM. Young filmmaker John Syon Lieu tells us more…
Hi there, my name is John Syon Lieu, and I am a level 3-year 2 film-making student at NCG Southwark College. I’ve recently worked on a project called ‘Women in STEM’, (which stands for Women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at the Brunel Museum.
Women working in STEM have shaped our society and the continue break the stereotypes from the past and even to this day, working in what are still seen by many as masculine jobs. It’s quite nice to see women working in STEM fields recognised, especially to inspire younger women and girls who want to pursue a career in the same field as them.
The young filmmakers practise their interview skills
The Women in STEM project started at the beginning of January and is expected to finish by the end of March. We’ve also been lucky to work with the filmmaker Jas Pitt, well known for her documentaries. Ever since Emily, the community curator from the Brunel Museum, came into my college to provide the pitch for the project, I was instantly attracted to it as I wanted to explore and see the difference women can make in our society. In a world where changes are possible and many doors are opening to different opportunities, it is always fascinating to see how women shape the way the world is today.
The young filmmakers share their research in a pre-production session.
From the early sessions of 9am to the late nights of carrying equipment back to college at 5pm, as the project progressed, it sparked my eyes with more interest. From interviewing an ambassador of STEM, to helping my other crew members set up cameras, to providing research for the interviewees, the project has brought out the best of my off-screen and on-screen abilities. On the early days of the project, we carried out sufficient research for our potential interviewees and this helped us gain an insight into how inspiring women in STEM can be and how their work shapes everyday life.
I was fortunate enough to interview Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, who’s a founder of a charity called AviateHer, which she set up during lockdown, which I found really inspiring. Interviewing Krystina was amazing as I was able to dig out her past, her current occupation as well as her future goals and her definition of success. Krystina’s success cannot be under-estimated as she’s done countless interviews as well as hosting a talk on REflect 2023.
John Syon Lieu interviews Aerospace engineer Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee
My overall experience was amazing as I got to work with the most amazing people so shout out to all of them for making this possible: Arianna, Binta, Pablo, Thanusan, Jessica, Ade, Sarah, Jade, Emily and of course Jas. Also, I’d like to give a massive thank you to all the contributors: Krystina Pearson-Rampeearee, Marisa Kurimbokus, Fran Scott, Hayley Harper, Divine Kuteesha, Sarah Woolham-Jaffier, Carys O’Shea, Fiona Tuite and Annie-May Goodman.
Young filmmaker John Syon Lieu.
My hopes and outcomes for this project include the editing and that I was able to work with amazing people who stuck by my side when I needed most. Soon, I will use these experiences to develop my film skills and potentially create my own documentary. But overall, this project has brought excitement and also happiness to me and my fellow colleagues. If I could do another project for Brunel Museum, I’d be up for it.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our update on the Women in STEM video project…