Spotlight on ... Amy Bucher '87

Author: Liya Gao

CORRECTION APPENDED

Director and producer Amy Bucher '87 returned to Middlebury for a screening of her award-winning documentary, "A Walk to Beautiful." In conjunction with a screening in Dana Auditorium on Nov. 10, Bucher also spoke to students on Nov. 11 in a lecture entitled, "The Perfect Major: How an Environmental Economics Major Paved the Way for a Documentary Career." After graduating from Middlebury, Bucher went on to work at National Geographic before finding a home at Angel Entertainment, an independent production company based in New York that specializes in documentaries. Bucher has been on location in over 30 countries, filming over 30 hours of film and documentaries.

The Middlebury Campus: What is "A Walk to Beautiful" about?
Amy Bucher: It's a film that chronicles five women in Ethiopia who have obstetric fistula, a disorder that develops when there are complications during childbirth. These five women struggle with the disease and the film chronicles their journey to a local hospital for treatment.

MC: What inspired you to do a documentary dealing with this subject matter?
AB: Four years ago I read a column that Nicholas Kristof did on the rise of obstetric fistula in women in Africa and it really struck me. I pitched the idea to my boss, who immediately came on board, and received a grant to make the film.

MC: Why is obstetric fistula such a pressing issue?
AB: It is a hidden epidemic that has arisen among young brides from rural, poor backgrounds in Africa. Obstetric fistula develops when there are complications during childbirth due to the lack of medical care. Without the resources to perform a C-section, these women remain in labor for three to ten days and are left with heavy internal issues when it is over. They are left with serious bladder problems and are marked with a social stigma. Women with this disease become virtual lepers in their communities and are often abandoned by their husbands. They have no choice but to move back in with their parents, who keep them hidden because they are likewise ashamed.

MC: How long did it take for you to complete this film?
AB: The process from start to finish took about three years. I was one of two field directors involved in the nine weeks of filming. Editing took about a year and at points along the way we had to stop and raise funds after running out of money.

MC: How has the reception been?
AB: It has been amazing! The film premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April of 2007 and was voted fan favorite. That led to it being picked up by other major film festivals as well as a limited theatrical release in June of 2007 as well. We also beat out Michael Moore's "Sicko" for the 2007 International Documentary Association's award for Best Documentary of the Year. But most importantly, all the press has really raised awareness on the issue.

MC: Can you tell us about your upcoming projects?
AB: Well, I just finished a documentary for the History Channel about the American dustbowl called "Black Blizzard." I'm sort of in between projects at the moment, but I believe that my next project is going to be a piece on credit card debt.

CORRECTION: Feb. 3, 2009

A quote in this article explaining Bucher's involvement with "A Walk to Beautiful" was inaccurate. The idea for the documentary was not her own. Bucher was brought onto the project after being invited by superior Steve Engel and his colleagues. In addition, the production company at which Bucher is employed is known as Engel Entertainment, not Angel Entertainment.