Building Hope & Capturing The Simple Good — an Interview With Cam Be
“Art can be therapeutic and powerful.”

When I met with him two weeks ago, photographer and filmmaker Cam Be was in his Pilsen art studio; sharing his photos from around the world and discussing ‘the simple good’ in his work with high schoolers participating in The Simple Good’s photography-focused summer program.
However, this is hardly his full-time gig. Be has spent the last few years participating in numerous artistic endeavors from shooting documentaries overseas to directing music videos. For the filming of his 2015 documentary, The Exchange, Be went to Germany to capture the stories of five teenagers from the Southside of Chicago traveling to Europe for an art exhibition and the life-changing experiences that ensued. A more recent undertaking is the music video he directed for emcee Rapsody of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. Throughout this time, Be has been a committed advocate for The Simple Good, serving as a teacher and mentor to the students involved in the program. Be’s commitment to the organization has led him to use his artistic talents to capture and share The Simple Good’s work in Rwanda. But more on that later.
One of the reasons that Be is such an involved advocate for The Simple Good is that he understands the importance of art programming on a personal level. When asked why art programming is important for underserved youth, Be voiced a sentiment that many partners of The Simple Good have echoed: “I wish I had something like [The Simple Good] when I was a kid.”
While Be’s interest in film was nurtured through his participation in a TV production program in high school, Be explains that “cameras were not as easy to get as they are now.” The Simple Good provides a solution to the problem Be faced as an upcoming artist by bridging the gap between underserved populations and art and camera equipment. Where there once was a deficit, there is now a space for artistic growth and activism.

Another reason that Be is intimately tied to the organization is that he understands the universal healing power that art can have in an individuals life. In his own words Be says: “Whether you’re an amazing artist or a beginner, I think [art] can be very therapeutic and powerful.” This belief took Be all the way to Africa last Fall where he filmed and assisted in the building of a mural and two classrooms in partnership with The Simple Good. The footage that Be captured on this trip will be used in his latest documentary.
Expected to be released in March 2018, Project: Building Hope is a visual chronicle of the work The Simple Good has done in the United States and Rwanda. The film conveys the ambitious goals that the Executive Director of The Simple Good — Priya Shah — set and achieved in giving an at-risk community in Rwanda a hopeful avenue to see beyond the trauma they experienced and to grow productively. What comes across, perhaps even more than the successes and challenges of the organization, is the distinctly human narrative composed of myriad smaller stories of real people whose lives were impacted by the message of The Simple Good.

Be has forged a supportive partnership with the Chicago-based documentary company, Kartemquin Films, and The Simple Good plans on returning to Rwanda in the Fall of 2017. This time, the group plans on building a bathroom, playground, and a space to teach art programming to the youth. To learn more about The Simple Good’s plans and help the process, check out the link below!
A portion of Cam Be’s documentary, Project: Building Hope, will be screened for the first time at The Simple Good’s upcoming fundraiser, City of Big Dreams. Don’t miss this opportunity to get an exclusive peek at Emmy-award winning director Cam Be’s latest documentary! Get tickets here before they’re gone.

