European public television channels often allocate airtime for spiritual content as part of their mission to reflect the diversity of society. Given the significant historical, cultural, and social influence of Catholicism in Spain, the national public television broadcasts programming about the Catholic Church on Sunday mornings.
The program “People of God” brings to society, in documentary format, the social and humanitarian work of Catholic organizations, the life of their urban and rural communities, solidarity and international cooperation projects, the work with the most vulnerable, the fight against poverty, or the care of migrant populations, the sick or the homeless…
Alberto Collantes is a cameraman for RTVE and has been present in the opening credits of “People of God” for over 15 years. For two weeks last April, he filmed at the socio-evangelizing projects of the Augustinian Recollects in Amazonas and Ceará, Brazil.
In Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, Alberto has portrayed the reality of the Saint Monica Home’s, a project that welcomes girls and adolescents sent by the competent authorities after having suffered abuse, violence, commercial sexual exploitation, abandonment or any violation of their rights in their contexts of origin.
What did the Saint Monica Home’s tell you through the camera viewfinder?
My first impression was very difficult, because when I started filming the girls, I could feel their sadness and their need for affection. Their eyes reveal that their souls are broken and they feel a need to understand their reality.
It wasn’t easy because I couldn’t record their faces to respect their anonymity and be able to protect them. The camera helped me understand their reality and the suffering they had endured in silence, without the support of their loved ones.
The girls behaved with great fear, and it was difficult to gain their trust. You could see in their eyes and their silences that they had suffered greatly. For example, we met a girl who had never played with dolls, who had grown up without ever truly being a child.
The camera served as a bridge for me to gain her trust by showing her the images I recorded and letting her know that I came to tell her story, but without showing her face to the world, protecting her privacy.
I put all my love and creativity into bringing out that reality in a delicate and poetic way.
What emotions overwhelmed you during the recording?
There were two moments when I couldn’t hold back my tears. The first was because I felt empathy for Luiza, the director of the Home, who described her reality in a wonderful way. She has a unique smile, a radiant gaze, and a heart overflowing with love. I wish there were many more Luizas in the world to protect and defend the rights of children and teenagers.
I also cried when one of the girls told us her story: her parents forced her into prostitution to buy drugs. I felt a great pain in my heart because, unfortunately, my family has had problems with heroin, and I know firsthand the suffering caused by drugs. I wish it only harmed the user and not also all those around the addict.
Filming at the Saint Monica Home’s has left a mark on my heart, because I will never forget the looks in those girls’ eyes. I hope this situation improves and these vulnerable children never have to go through this again.
I also want to highlight the case of Larissa, a former beneficiary. For me, it has been very important because I have seen in her eyes and in her heart that the Saint Monica Home’s saved her life and gave her the tools to believe in herself again and become the wonderful person she has become.
As we said goodbye, I gave Larissa my neck warmer, an object with significant meaning for me, as it helps me believe in myself. I wanted to pass on my energy and confidence through this small gesture and leave her with a keepsake to inspire her to always dream big and become the person she wants to be.
What words would you add to the images you have recorded of the Saint Monica Home’s?
At the Saint Monica Home’s, love is in the air, and the caregivers demonstrate unwavering dedication and commitment to helping the girls in every situation. The staff are wonderful; they do everything they can to make the girls feel at home.
The psychologist, the educator, and the social workers fight, teach, and give hope to these little ones so they can regain their self-confidence and dream of a better life. Together, they mend the souls of these girls, which arrive shattered. They help them believe in themselves again and not feel guilty for what they have suffered. They give them hope and the will to live again.
If I had to define Saint Monica Home’s with just one of the images I’ve recorded, it would be Luiza’s smile —an exceptional woman in every sense. It’s the most wonderful place I’ve ever known. Its staff dedicate their lives to rebuilding the lives of these girls who arrive with their bodies and souls shattered.
And it’s also a place unlike any I’ve visited before because of the strength of the girls who, despite having lost their childhood, become children again here —something they should never have lost. Thanks to the Saint Monica Home’s, they save their lives and rediscover their self-belief and their dreams.
What are you looking for and hoping to achieve by recording these images that others will see?
I always try to tell a story, according to the script or the cause they represent, giving it an artistic touch and focusing on capturing beautiful images with incredible lighting. I have a responsibility to tell the truth with my images and never judge those I film…
I try to put a lot of love into each project and learn a lot from the people I record who let me go into their lives. I thank God for allowing me to be in these incredible places and meet wonderful people. Saint Monica Home’s, for example, has been pure LOVE. And I would like the viewer to feel that immense love that is given every day to these girls who need it so much.
It’s a wonderful job. The love I received there is indescribable. And I’m leaving with a heart full of smiles and huge hugs. This very special place will always have a piece of my heart.
After visiting these Augustinian Recollect Family missions in Brazil, what do you think they contribute?
Living this experience in the missions and social projects alongside the Augustinian Recollects themselves has been wonderful. I have learned so much from them, especially from their sense of community and their desire to always be by the side of the most vulnerable, helping them along the way, giving them the tools to fight and live with dignity, so that they may be free people.
I would define this religious family, whom I had not met before, with the words Hope and Family.
