Member Spotlight: Blake Knecht, Gríma Eir Geirs Irmudóttir, and Shawn Antoine II

This month, we have the great opportunity to highlight three rising stars and Northwestern University Documentary Media program graduate students: Blake Knecht, Gríma Eir Geirs Irmudóttir, and Shawn Antoine II. 

The Northwestern University Documentary Media Program is a member of IDA’s educational membership program, an essential program for higher education institutions that want to provide their students, faculty, and staff with access to the documentary industry. If you are interested in joining our educational membership program, please reach out to Anisa Hosseinnezhad, IDA Membership Manager, at anisa@documentary.org.

The MFA in Documentary Media program at Northwestern University is a fully funded program that looks to refresh the canons of Documentary, expand definitions, cross-pollinate with fiction and genre conventions, explore opportunities to transcribe nonfiction practice across convergent media forms, and innovate discursive practice in media. As the program enters its second decade, the work that our students and faculty do is more vital than ever where they are creating documentaries that explore social justice issues, including criminal justice, race, and gender. The Documentary Media program at Northwestern is an incubator for new forms, novel aesthetic practices, and innovative approaches to nonfiction.
 

IDA: Please tell us a little about yourself and your profession or passion.

Blake Knecht (BK): I’m a nonfiction filmmaker and photographer, currently working toward my MFA in Documentary Media at Northwestern University. I’ve been living in Chicago for the last few years, but much of my work has been rooted in the landscapes of the American Southwest. Being born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, I’ve been drawn to stories shaped by land, labor, and movement—how people navigate these changing environments and how these places persist. A lot of my excitement for creating documentaries comes from process-based storytelling. I often work with analog and handmade processes to create films that are as much about texture and materiality as they are about narrative. I’m especially interested in the spaces where the documentary genre overlaps with other forms, and images function as both records of place and poetic gestures.

Gríma Irmudóttir (GI): I am an Icelandic documentary filmmaker currently based in Chicago, where I am completing my MFA in Documentary Media at Northwestern University as a Fulbright and Leifur Eiríksson Foundation fellow. My work explores themes of identity, belonging, and environmental preservation, often blending personal narratives with experimental and poetic approaches to documentary filmmaking. In 2022, I directed Heima, a series for Icelandic TV that explored the meaning of home and belonging. My short film, Náttúrubönd (2023), is an award-winning poetic inquiry into our evolving relationship with nature in the Icelandic landscape. For me, documentary filmmaking is a way to bridge the personal and the universal. It allows me to engage with the world through listening, questioning, and creating space for underrepresented voices and forgotten landscapes to be seen and heard.

Shawn Antoine II (SAII): I’m a documentary filmmaker from Harlem, New York, currently pursuing my MFA in Documentary Media at Northwestern University. My work is deeply rooted in community and cultural history, with a focus on Black experiences, resilience, and transformation. I’m drawn to stories that often go untold or are misrepresented, particularly within the Black diaspora. As a filmmaker, I aim to bring these stories to the forefront, using authentic storytelling to illuminate lives that reflect a wide spectrum of humanity. My approach is collaborative, working closely with my subjects to ensure their voices are central to the narrative. Whether through experimental or traditional techniques, my films—such as KINGDOME and For Those That Lived There—explore cultural shifts, community legacy, and the impacts of gentrification. Documentary filmmaking, for me, is about connection, empathy, and fostering understanding across divides.

IDA: What drew you to the documentary field?

BK: It’s difficult for me to pinpoint exactly when I decided to be a filmmaker, but much of my experience prior to documentary had been in narrative cinematography. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to shoot a documentary for the first time with an incredible all-female crew, and that was a transformative experience—both creatively and personally. The sense of immediacy in documentary filmmaking has stuck with me, and since then, I’ve fully leaned into it. My understanding of what the documentary field is continues to expand and allows me to engage more directly with the world, and I think that’s what keeps me committed.

GI: I have always been captivated by cinema, but as a young girl, I never imagined myself behind the camera. Filmmaking felt like a distant world, one dominated by men, where I struggled to see a place for myself. However, that changed the moment I started taking photographs. For the first time, I felt a deep certainty, and I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. After high school, I enrolled in a photography school and took a course in photojournalism. That was a turning point. I became captivated by the ability to capture real moments and shape them into narratives that could inform, provoke, and connect with audiences. Pairing compelling visuals with text, I learned how to craft photo series that told meaningful stories through images and interviews. The deeper I went into this practice, the more I realized that images were not enough—I wanted to see these stories move, evolve, and unfold in real time. Documentary filmmaking became the natural extension of this desire.

SAII: I started with editing videos of my youth football games and posting them on YouTube when I was 11 years old. My interest in filmmaking grew deeper when I was injured in college and missed my sophomore season. During that time, I bought a camera and was invited to a Black Friday protest in 2015, organized by friends in support of Black Lives Matter. I decided to film the protest and, within a week, turned the footage into a short documentary called The Movement, which I posted on Facebook. To my surprise, the video garnered 25,000 views in one night. A few days later, Yale University reached out and screened it at their film festival. That moment was pivotal—it showed me the power of film to engage with real-time events and create conversations around social issues. From there, I was inspired to pursue documentary filmmaking seriously, using it as a platform to amplify voices and share stories that often go unheard. It became clear to me that documentary wasn’t just about telling stories; it was about creating a space for truth and connection, and that’s what drives me to keep making films today.

IDA: Can you tell us about the project you are working on right now? When did you know you wanted to make a documentary about the subject?

BK: I’m currently working on my MFA thesis film, which explores the landscapes of the American Southwest, exacerbated by water mismanagement and climate change-induced drought 

conditions. The film is both an observational documentary and experimental inquiry in an attempt to engage with the land as both subject and material. In this film, I use handmade analog processes to directly alter 16mm film, allowing the physical elements of the desert landscapes to affect the image. The film also includes conversations with my 12-year-old sister, reflecting on her experiences growing up in a changing climate.

I’m drawn to the desert through years of traveling and photographing the southwest. It’s hard to ignore how the presence of water shapes these landscapes in addition to the histories, economies, and communities that are so closely tied to it. I knew I wanted to make this documentary when I began to have conversations with my younger sister about water scarcity. Her experience growing older has been different from mine, and as we talked, it became clear how the reality of climate change has shifted for her generation. As a little girl, I was largely unaware of how environmental changes were shaping the world around me, but my sister has grown up confronting the implications of a changing climate. The contrast between our adolescent experiences outlines the urgency of action, and making this film feels like a response to that.

GI: I am currently working on my thesis project, a short documentary in post-production. The film explores grief and melancholia, juxtaposing personal loss due to terminal illness with the ecological loss of natural phenomena caused by climate change. Through evocative imagery and personal reflection, the film draws connections between the erosion of familial bonds and the disappearing landscapes we once took for granted. This is my most personal project to date, as it reflects my own experience of grief following my father’s passing. He lived with Lewy body dementia, a terminal illness, for fifteen years. My mother, sister, and I were his caregivers for much of that time, and after his passing, we found ourselves navigating a profound and complex mourning process. With this film, I hope to offer a space for others, especially those who have experienced the slow, painful loss of a loved one, to find resonance, connection, and perhaps even solace.

My current project in production is in dialogue with my previous work, including my 2023 film Náttúrubönd, a poetic inquiry into our evolving relationship with nature in Iceland. That film follows an activist, a dancer, a scientist, and a biologist as they move through the landscape, lamenting the loss of its beauty and their own deep-rooted connection to it. Growing up in Iceland and spending so much time in nature has profoundly shaped me as a filmmaker. The changes in Iceland’s landscapes due to climate change have been stark and undeniable. I knew I wanted to make both Náttúrubönd and my current film when I attended the funeral ceremony for Okjökull in 2019, Iceland’s first glacier to disappear due to climate change. Standing in the highlands where the glacier once existed, I watched as writer, poet, and activist Andri Snær Magnason placed a memorial plaque on the ground. Scientists, artists, and environmental activists spoke, placing the glacier’s loss within a broader cultural and historical context. That moment made it clear to me how deeply interconnected personal and planetary grief is. My research into environmental humanities, exploring identity, affective storytelling methods, and mediatization has further deepened my commitment to using documentary as a tool for reflection and change. I hope that my work can contribute in some small way to awakening both the public and decision-makers to the urgency of anthropogenic climate change.

SAII: My upcoming Northwestern University thesis project, The Sight Unseen, is a hybrid film that revisits the miraculous events of 1971 in the Bronx, when my mother, Sharon, discovered a glowing cross in her apartment window. This extraordinary phenomenon captivated the local community, sparking collective awe and curiosity. The film combines Sharon’s vivid recollections with the writings of Melvin Tapley, a journalist for the Amsterdam News, who documented the event at the time. By blending personal reflection with historical context, I aim to explore themes of faith, memory, and the lasting impact of this miraculous moment on the Bronx community.

The project began when I uncovered my mother's story as a “miracle child,” a chapter of our family history that had been preserved through oral tradition. As I delved into her past, I discovered the critical work of Melvin Tapley, whose 1972 event coverage ensured it was not lost to time. This film honors my mother’s legacy while exploring the broader importance of documenting Black histories, especially those often overlooked. Through archival research, oral histories, and reenactments, The Sight Unseen not only preserves a personal family history but also sheds light on the power of memory and cultural preservation, ensuring these extraordinary stories live on for future generations.

IDA: What has your experience been like as an IDA member?

BK: Being involved with the IDA has been incredibly valuable as an independent filmmaker. I think it can be easy for documentary work to feel isolating, but I’m grateful to be involved with a global community that creates a space for filmmakers to connect. My experience as an IDA member has helped me stay engaged with important discussions about documentary filmmaking, and also find inspiration in other filmmakers’ work.

GI: IDA’s commitment to supporting documentary filmmakers, especially those working on independent and underrepresented stories, resonates deeply with me. As someone who often works in poetic and experimental documentary forms, it is encouraging to be part of an organization that values a broad spectrum of documentary storytelling. Overall, my experience as an IDA member has strengthened my connection to the wider documentary community and reaffirmed my commitment to using film as a tool for exploration, reflection, and impact.

SAII: Being an IDA member has been incredibly rewarding for me as a documentary filmmaker. It has provided me with valuable resources and inspiration, as I’ve been able to connect with filmmakers from around the world. The organization fosters a global community that shares diverse stories, which has not only helped me stay engaged with the latest trends in documentary filmmaking but also allowed me to draw inspiration from the unique and impactful work of others. It’s been a great space to learn, grow, and feel part of a larger movement within the documentary field.

IDA: How can our members learn more about your projects, contact you, or get involved?

BK: I share updates about my work mainly through my website and social media. I’m always open to conversations about documentary filmmaking, alternative processes, or just connecting with fellow filmmakers and artists! 

GI: I always welcome opportunities to connect with fellow filmmakers, collaborators, and anyone interested in documentary storytelling. Members can learn more about my projects by visiting my website or following me on social media. I am always happy to discuss potential partnerships, share insights from my work, or simply engage in conversations about documentary filmmaking. Additionally, I encourage anyone interested in my current project—which explores grief and environmental loss—to reach out if they would like to support, contribute, or be involved in future screenings and discussions. I deeply value being part of a community that champions documentary storytelling, and I look forward to connecting with others who share that passion.

SAII: You can learn more about my projects and stay updated on my work by visiting my website, ShawnAntoineII.com, and following me on Instagram at instagram.com/shawnantoineii. I’m always open to connecting with fellow filmmakers, collaborators, or anyone interested in documentary storytelling. I’m currently exploring new techniques and approaches within the documentary field. I’m eager to collaborate with others who share a passion for innovative storytelling. If you’re interested in working together or discussing potential projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to building connections and exploring new creative possibilities with others in the documentary community.