Eric Kiekeben

I WOULD HAVE 

Role: Producer/Editor

"I Would Have" follows humanitarian aid worker and professor Rasha Abousalem as she discusses the ongoing violence in Gaza and advocates for peace in the region. This film was screened at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival through the "Speak Truth to Power" video contest and earned first place in the collegiate category.

HATCH

Role: Director/Producer/Editor

"Hatch" documents the work that Missouri Department of Conservation staffers do every day at the Blind Pony Hatchery, a fish hatchery in Sweet Springs, Missouri. This project was part of a larger scope of films and photo stories based on communities and points of interest around Interstate 70, completed by visuals staff members for the Columbia Missourian. The full video description is as follows:

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Located in Sweet Springs, Missouri, Blind Pony Hatchery was built in 1969 with the primary purpose of preserving paddlefish. A prehistoric species and the state’s official aquatic animal since 1997, paddlefish are considered a vulnerable species and are often unable to reproduce on their own due to habitat destruction and other factors. This is where Blind Pony employees step in every single year to spawn paddlefish themselves. Over the course of around four months in late winter and early spring, they collect adult paddlefish from the lower Osage River, stock them, artificially fertilize the eggs, raise the hatched fry and release them back into the river system once they’ve grown to a certain size. According to the hatchery’s manager, Nathan Storts, it is one of just a few hatcheries in Missouri that works with paddlefish. 

Blind Pony Hatchery is also a part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. One of the MDC’s main goals, according to Blind Pony staff member Evan Baker, is to provide access to at least one nature area within 15 miles of where anyone lives. Outside of saving paddlefish, Blind Pony works with the urban stocking of fish – safely distributing fish to lakes and ponds in metropolitan areas for fishing and other general benefits to the ecosystem.

Not only is Blind Pony Hatchery protecting the lives of a vulnerable fish species, but they are also enhancing the lives of human communities across the state of Missouri. Hatch is a micro documentary that is part of a larger “I-70 Corridor” project for the Columbia Missourian. This series focuses on businesses, entities and communities not too far off the interstate as major construction will expand its lanes over the next several years. The values that Blind Pony and the MDC stand for – maintaining the environment and connecting humans to nature – tie directly into concerns that may arise with an increased volume of cars and traffic on the highway over the next few decades and beyond. Through the words and actions of the Blind Pony Hatchery staff, this short film shows how they go about their work and gives insight into their dedication.

TAPESTRY OF LIFE (Work in Progress):

Role: Director/Editor

"Tapestry of Life" is a current work-in-progress of mine. It is a personal documentary film about my dad, who is a Portuguese immigrant, and his experiences pursuing life in America after his parents and all five of his siblings decided to return to Portugal. This teaser showcases a glimpse of what the film will look like and be about. A full description is as follows:

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LOGLINE: A filmmaker’s Portuguese immigrant dad navigates life in America, feeling a sense of isolation after his parents and siblings chose to return to Portugal.

SYNOPSIS: My dad, his five siblings and his parents came to the U.S. amid Portuguese instability in the 1970s. In a textbook chase of the American dream, they sought a better future for themselves and their family tapestry business. As their business grew more successful, producing items like custom-embroidered napkins for the White House, they grew a visual record of their pursuit of American success. So, why did his whole family move back to Portugal and leave him in the United States?

It was 1995 when my dad was the only one left in America. Then, in 2004—the year I was born—the family business shut down for good. The looms, the history, the life-changing journey—everything faded before I even had a chance to grasp it. I grew up in America with a dad who remained extremely connected to his past—it was hard not to notice when I was surrounded by shelves upon shelves of photo albums dedicated to life in Portugal.

Throughout my childhood, I noticed my dad’s strong sense of family pride, but I would also notice his lack of deep friendships—especially in comparison to my friends’ American fathers. After spending all my life with him, I now want to work together on camera to unpack his story. Through activities such as seeking out local Portuguese communities, revisiting his past through visual archives and discussing culture, I hope to discover new aspects of my dad's personal history and capture emotions from memories being jogged.

"Tapestry of Life" will answer questions about my family’s immigration uncertainties and the emotional toll this experience has had on my father. As the film primarily follows my dad, it will showcase his path to discovering what home really means to individuals like him. The audience will watch him discuss his mixed feelings about being left in America and observe parts of his daily life that reveal what he has sacrificed to pursue a life here.

In this film, the viewer will see why my dad claims to have no regrets about staying in the U.S. while simultaneously missing Portugal. By blending intimate interviews, observational footage, evocative archival video and images of colorful tapestries made by my family, both through photos and physical relics, "Tapestry of Life" provides the viewer with a textured visual perspective of my dad's passionate and complex feelings about his past.

With the U.S. making it ever more difficult for outsiders to have a life here, this film spotlights my dad’s conflicts to scrutinize the idea that America is the best nation for building a future.

"Tapestry of Life" stems from my dad’s backstory to bring any of his bottled-up feelings to the forefront, ultimately hoping to discover how prolonged alienation may impact his demeanor today.

MADE HERE 

Role: Director/Producer/Editor

Showcasing multiple participants of the Boonville Farmers' Market in Boonville, Mo., "Made Here" explores the importance of farmer's markets in general for sustaining a healthy lifestyle and of Boonville's market specifically for enriching the community it serves.

SUGAR LAND (Work in Progress)

Role: Producer/Editor

"Sugar Land" is a documentary that follows Victoria Harrison as she recounts a turbulent relationship with her mother through her adolescence. Based in Sugar Land, Texas, the film explores themes of family, forgiveness, and what it means to love from a distance. This trailer introduces the main participant through capturing her voice as she reads a letter she wrote to her mom.