Made Known LLC
Our Mission:
To produce films and photography about hidden injustices, in order that those who suffer might be given a voice and a chance to be made known. Our work is both international and local.
Our Team:
Brad LaBriola graduated from Temple University’s school of Film and Media Arts in 2005. Since graduation, Brad has directed and produced three justice related documentaries: Women In War Zones, Monica, Be Strong, and Permanency. After much research, he came across the injustices that have been taking place in DRC. Three months later he was in Congo with his friend and fellow filmmaker, Scott Blanding, and Scott’s sister, Melanie.
Scott Blanding graduated from Temple University’s school of Film and Media Arts in 2008. As an undergraduate film student, Scott lived, studied, and worked on projects in a wide variety of environments throughout Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Drawn in particular to projects relating to justice issues, it is Scott’s hope that his work will engage the audience in a way that reflects a respect for the dignity of human life and encourages compassion for others. Scott’s latest project is a narrative short film entitled Kesi, born of war, inspired by the people he met and stories he learned during his time in the Congo.
Melanie Blanding graduated with a BA in photojournalism and a minor in cultural anthropology from Western Kentucky University in May 2006. Shortly before graduation, Melanie was awarded the Alexia Foundation student grant for a photographic story proposal, which led to her work in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the summer of 2006 with Scott Blanding and Brad LaBriola. Melanie recognizes the significant influence that visuals have in modern American culture and hopes that her photographs will be used to have a positive impact on the lives of those she documents.
Our Work:
In addition to the Women in War Zones documentary, here are other narrative and documentary projects Made Known has been working on:
Kesi, born of war is a narrative short film inspired by our documentary Women in War Zones. Mother and daughter Congolese refugees Shani and Kesi live together in a small town outside of Philadelphia, far from the war-torn native land they left behind many years before. Driven by a burgeoning interest in her family’s past, young Kesi stumbles upon an old storage box of Shani’s, opening up a world of hidden secrets about her mother and a dark revelation of her own origin.
Ram Raj (working title) is the story of a Ram Raj David, a minister at the Delhi Bible Institute in New Dehli. Born in a Dalit family, the lowest caste in Indian society, he has beaten, humiliated, and oppressed the majority of his life. Ram Raj tells his journey from his childhood being beaten by his teachers; to rising in power becoming the commander of a violent Communist party; to becoming a Christian and learning to love and be at peace with his enemies.
The Delhi Bible Institute has been reaching into all of North India for the over the past 50 years with the message of grace in Christ, offering hope to the hopeless. DBI is working with Made Known LLC to produce a 20 minute promotional video that highlights the work they are are doing and share their vision to serve and love the people of North India through their ministries.
Definining Permanence: Our Journey explore the lives of 4 young men and women, as they reflect on their experiences growing up in the foster care system and consider how they have struggled to find a sense of permanence throughout their lives. Their four stories reflect on the common struggles and issues that people face growing up in unstable environments. Family Services has chosen this documentary to be used to educate and inspire employees as well as children and parents in the foster care system.
Nueva Esperanza is a short documentary about three siblings who have recently arrived at an orphanage in Arequipa, Peru. Monica, the oldest, made a promise to her dying mom that she would be like a mother to her siblings. At 15, she feels the pressure of that promise. All three cope with the loss in different ways. This short documentary will be used to raise money for New Hope Children’s Home in Arequipa, Peru. There remain thousands of street kids in Peru who have been orphaned or abandoned. The film was shot in August of 2007 and is now in Post-production.