Hiya folks!

I’m a Finnish photographer/videographer/documentary filmmaker living in southern France.

Here’s some info about myself:

I have a BA in Social Anthropology from SOAS, School of Oriental and African Studies in London and a MA in Visual Anthropology from University of Manchester. I have attended Finnish Red Cross’ IMPACT training as well as Safety and Security training, and am part of FRC’s Field Communications Unit. In 2010 I participated in ESODOC – European Social Documentary – training.

I have produced visual material and short human interest stories for different NGOs and associations. In some I have been in charge of the project in its entirety, while in others I have worked as a photo/videographer and editor for a project planned by the organisation.

I have experience in working with vulnerable groups (refugees, people with disabilities, undocumented migrants, people living with HIV, and people struggling with heroin addiction) and sensitive topics. In my work I often have to address ethical issues in visual representation, and believe my background in anthropology to be an asset. How to portray people with dignity, especially when facing challenges in their lives, is always at the heart of my professional approach. The focus of my work is always human being and their experiences.

In my own documentary projects I have dealt with topics such as global migration and environmentalism. In each project my role has been all-encompassing (script-writing, directing, filming, project planning, logistics etc). My projects have been funded by Finnish Film Foundation (SES), Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), AVEK Audiovisual Centre and EU Creative Media, among others.

I am fluent in Finnish, English and French, but have also dabbled in other languages from Russian to Swahili, or Dutch to Yoruba and Haitian Creole.

I’m both a people person, and an observer. I connect with people easily. It is important for me to create a connection, to share that moment, no matter how fleeting.

GET IN TOUCH!

Veera

veera.lehto@gmail.com