“I inherited his passion for making films.”

I’m not sure when I decided that filmmaking was what I wanted to pursue, but I do remember playing with my uncle’s 1967 Bolex camera when I was a kid.

Years later, I inherited that camera and I started to make home movies. That led to my first short film and my first feature. The camera has since gone with me all over the world – from the lush hills of Mexico to the desert regions of Egypt, Jordan and Israel.

By now, I’ve owned maybe 10 different cameras and rented 50 different ones, but my uncle’s camera is still the only one that has lasted. I even carry it in his same leather camera bag. I call it my talisman. I can’t help but feel that there’s just a little bit of him and his inspiration infused in there.

My son is only four and a half, but he’s already excited about the camera, and I’ve shown him how to use it. My Uncle Roger didn’t just give me a camera. He gave me a legacy.

- Mike S.