From behind the camera, Maria Fortiz-Morse quietly focuses on capturing the beauty, vulnerability and courage of her subjects. She is drawn toward stories of people who live on the margins of society. When making documentaries, Maria seeks to communicate the essential humanity of her subjects to a wide-ranging audience. She believes passionately that non-fiction films can foster a deeper sense of human interconnection and social inclusion.

In this presentation, Maria will share a case study about an particularly adventurous film shoot in rural Nepal, and the lessons learned therein. The case study will be a departure point from which she can discuss her artistic sensibilities, ethics, social objectives and technical strategies when directing a documentary.

Maria Fortiz-Morse is an award-winning filmmaker whose short-form documentaries have screened at festivals across the country and broadcast on the PBS series P.O.V.. Maria’s experience of growing-up within a multi-ethnic family has inspired her to create stories that can bridge cultural differences and inspire social change. Her notable work includes Trash-Out, which explores the United States housing crisis through the eyes of contractors cleaning up a foreclosed home; Keith and Daniel, a compelling portrait of a mother caring for two disabled sons in the Midwest; and The Mountain Between Us, which exposes the challenges that teenage girls face when pursuing higher education in rural Nepal.

Here’s a profile of her Stanford graduate work.