A lone voice can speak of a past full of struggle and a future full of hope. ResTV’s new documentary series “Full Disclosure” aims to amplify that singular voice, allowing others to learn and find solace from it.
“Full Disclosure” captures and exposes the lives of UCLA’s underrepresented identities, showcasing diverse individuals to inspire intercultural interaction and understanding.
A segment of the Office of Residential Life, resTV produces student-created shows for the on-campus housing community of UCLA. First shown via YouTube during winter quarter, what really sets “Full Disclosure” apart from past resTV shows is its attempt to make an impression and inform students, said Alex Regalado, a fourth-year communication studies student and studio technical student supervisor at resTV.
“I really wanted to make a show that had some kind of impact that I hoped people would watch and maybe learn something from,” Regalado said. “I’m a big fan of documentary filmmaking and going to UCLA has really opened my eyes to social justice issues that I hadn’t even really thought about before coming to college.”
From an aspiring filmmaker to an undocumented student, “Full Disclosure” aims to feature a variety of students with underrepresented backgrounds, identities and experiences.
“I am hoping that (students) learn to appreciate what they have and realize that not everybody is given the same resources and opportunities that they were given,” Regalado said. “They shouldn’t take their life for granted. It’s all about being happy about who you are and being able to embrace other people.”
“Full Disclosure” asks broad questions that address the personal struggles students have overcome and the successes they have attained despite such struggles. The show not only asks these questions through one-on-one interviews in the resTV studio but also traces the everyday lives of each featured student whether at school, with friends or at work.
Blanca Villagomez, a third-year sociology student with undocumented status, shared her story through the show. She said that the overall point of having a diverse university is often lost at UCLA. It is with shows like “Full Disclosure” that such diversity is given an avenue of exposure, as well as a common platform for potential understanding as opposed to judgment, Villagomez said.
“I feel that it is extremely important to have programs like these around campuses because everyone has a story,” Villagomez said. “People need to know my story because people can easily judge. When you know someone’s story, someone’s background, you can’t be as judgmental.”
Villagomez, who had to withdraw from UCLA for a year until the DREAM Act was passed, said she truly struggled to be where she is today. Yet despite her barriers she still retains a positive attitude, something displayed in her episode.
“No one tells you what you’re going to go through but something that I’ve learned from my mom is to always keep a smile on your face and be positive because everything happens for a reason,” Villagomez said. “That’s a thing that I strongly believe in.”
Abram Cerda, a second-year undeclared student, also relayed his own experiences to “Full Disclosure.”
“It was strangely comforting. You never really expect what (Regalado will) ask you in such personal detail,” Cerda said. “For me it was a bit uncomfortable at first, but then at the same time it was comforting that someone was interested in the personal details of my life.”
Cerda, who left his home to live with another family at the age of 17, said film and television allowed him to think about and explore topics that he needed to deal with but could not talk about in his day-to-day life.
“My passion for film and TV really came from the aspect of storytelling and being able to tell stories like what Alex is doing with the series,” Cerda said.
But it’s not just featured students that have reason to express the unexpressed.
“Every time I’m surprised and inspired by the personal stories (the students) tell. It’s completely different from what I expected and what I feel personally,” said Jae Kim, a first-year human biology and society student and video production assistant at resTV. “I hope to transfer that to our video and hope other students can feel that too.”
Kim said, as an immigrant he personally relates to the topic of identity conflict.
“I am an immigrant who moved in sixth grade from South Korea,” Kim said. “I consider myself a third-culture child who cannot identify myself with a oneculture. I’m lost between cultures.”
Kim said it is this feeling of being misunderstood that inspires him to work with these featured students.
“I want to provide those other Bruins who feel this way to get an opportunity to get closure,” Kim said.
As for the future of the show, there are still many underrepresented groups that resTV wants to reach out to. Native American students are just one example, Regalado said.
So far, the outcome has been an encouraging one in its ability to relay that the UCLA student body, in its separate struggles, is not alone.
“I got a lot of positive feedback for it from friends and family. Even strangers were messaging me on Facebook and even emailing me,” Cerda said. “People said they were able to relate to it.”
Villagomez took her own experience with “Full Disclosure” as an opportunity for self-acceptance.
“When you share a story it’s empowering for yourself and for other people,” Villagomez said. “Everyone suffers in many different ways. I find my own share of suffering but by being more open about it, by sharing it, it definitely helps me be more at peace and accept myself and who I am.”