Irum Malik is 19 years old and lives in Long Island City, Queens. She became involved with film making when she attended Documentary Workshop at EVC and is now a YO-TV crew member. She says that before EVC, she didn’t have much knowledge about films or their impact on our world. Through EVC, she was hired by Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Youth Channel where she has led PSA workshops and hosted talk shows. Irum also has a passion for poetry and considers herself an aspiring poet. Her future plans are to teach media making and English literature. |
You were in Doc Workshop last year, and now you’ve come back for YO-TV. How is it different this time?
Well, this time we're getting paid! So I feel a lot of responsibility to do a good job. In Doc Workshop we were just learning, but now it feels like EVC is investing in us – in our future.
And what do you want to do, in the future?
I want to teach literature. But, I don't know. It sort of depends on the situation with my family.
What situation?
My dad is a cab driver, and last year he got into a bad accident. He broke his knee and injured his shoulder blade. It’s still pretty
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bad - sometimes when the weather changes, it hurts too much to work. So it’s harder for him to support the family now. Also, my uncle died last year, so now my dad is supporting my uncle's family too. My brother says I should quit YO-TV, quit college, get a job.
And what do you say to that?
It's hard. My brother has never worked in the US, or gone to college, so he doesn't really understand. I tell him that if I work hard now – at college, and at YO-TV – then I can get a better job when it's over, make more money. EVC is great for me because literature and video are so similar, and it's good to keep up with media and technology. Everything is changing so fast. So, I'm just hoping that if I work hard and do well, when this is over EVC can help me get a good job.
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