Sarah Clinch
Dreamers Westward Ho!
Prompt: We were to choose a distant past event and create a video composed of sequential black and white images with a voice-over in which collective memory ideas are explored and bring past events to the present.
Wanting to stay true to my midwestern roots, my historical event was the Oregon Trail journey. Technological advances and our media-obsessed society has created an overly materialistic outlook on life. I hoped to illuminate a deeper appreciation within our protected population for the historical westward expansion. I used an original poem for my (Seminar) script and took my images from the internet while also capturing some from a local museum. I wanted to do these settlers justice, so I told the story of what brutal and disturbing variables an average pioneer would’ve endured while on route to Oregon. The common American citizen isn’t heavy-hearted for the Oregon Trail and its pioneers, so I readily accepted the challenge of telling their story. I wanted to have a tone that was honest to the disturbing events that occurred while also being light-hearted, hence the beautiful background harmonica.