Kyle King volunteered with the Peace Corps in Ecuador and spent his time there with a host family, the Toapantas. As part of the Peace Corps Week 2015 Video Contest, Kyle chose to make a short film about the Taopanta family. The goal of the video contest, themed 'Host Country Heroes,' was to get both currently serving and returned Peace Corps members to create compelling short videos to help others better understand the people living in host countries. The prompt of the contest asks, "Who do you wish Americans knew from your Peace Corps country?" For Kyle, that was the Taopanta family.
In his time with this family, Kyle witnessed their joy alongside their tragedy and their strength alongside their moments of weakness, and he uses his short film to show their amazing ability to triumph over loss. By focusing the film around the all-too-familiar ups and downs of birth and death, Kyle paints a beautiful picture of the commonalities that humans share across the globe. No matter what part of the world you hail from, you come to understand the delicate cycle of life, as well as death's inherent role in that cycle. The story of the Taopanta family is the perfect reminder that though we all must struggle with loss at some point, life will carry on. Though only two minutes long, Kyle's film ultimately stands as a powerful portrait of the strength of the human will to overcome tragedy.
The film is narrated as if it were a letter being written to the Taopanta's infant daughter, Aime, who sadly did not live past three months old. This poignant touch makes the film feel incredibly intimate and all the more compelling; it's no wonder that Kyle took home third place in the Peace Corps video contest. What do you think of Kyle's film? If you have volunteered in the Peace Corps, who were your host country heroes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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