Meet the Crew
"He who defines himself can't know who he really is."
—Lao-tzu
Ryan was born and raised in rural Oregon. At 10 years old he was splitting wood, riding horses and killing deer.
In 1997 he graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon where he studied Psychology and Philosophy. Immediately following graduation he began working as a deckhand on a commercial fishing boat in the Bering Sea, Alaska. This helped to fund five years of domestic and foreign travel, culminating in a six month journey through South America with his life partner, Mary. After returning to the United States, Ryan began an intensive study of Latin American culture, history, and politics which has continued unabated to the present.
In 2006 his persistent passion for Latin America led to a one year sabbatical in Guatemala where he studied Spanish and immersed himself in the community of La Florida. His profound experience while living and working with the families of La Florida has compelled him to produce a documentary film about their life and struggle.
Currently, he and Mary, are living in Olympia, Washington working on gathering a post production team and raising money to finish the film.
Ryan is still splitting wood but has long since stopped killing deer.
Mary was raised in a working class family in California. At 20, not content with the prospect of a conventional, 9 to 5 domestic life, she opted for adventure and headed to Alaska to work on commercial fishing boats. 
For a decade she intermittently fished, traveled, and attended college, primarily studying photography.
Following a six month sojourn through South America with her partner Ryan she settled in Olympia, Washington. There, she completed her degree at The Evergreen State College, an alternative liberal arts school. Her focus was on global economics, social movements, and Latin American studies. During these years Mary began working with adult immigrants and became an immigrants rights advocate.
In 2006, she headed south again. She and Ryan began living and working in rural Guatemala with the community of La Florida. This experience challenged every fiber of her being but the encounter left her invigorated. They began several projects with the community including: a publicity campaign for the community's ecotourism project, the development of a Health Project, and a documentary film.
She is now back in Olympia, wading through the chaos and mayhem of filmmaking......and enjoying (almost) every minute of it. She is still not content with the prospect of a conventional, 9 to 5 domestic life!
Born in the Siberian town of Novosibirsk Albert spent his youth in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova, mostly playing soccer and drinking wine. In 1984 he finished the school of journalism at Kishinev State University, and at 25 he became the managing editor of a newspaper. When angry local nationalists burned down the newspaper's office, emigration to the US suddenly became a very appealing option. The transition was painful but enriching.
In 1995, he finished his Masters Degree in modern European history at Youngstown State University. He transferred to the University of Wisconsin with plans to write his Ph.D. thesis but 2 years later decided to escape American academia, realizing that a career as a history professor would be too sleepy for his temperament.
In 1998 he returned to Moldova and with a group of friends organized an ethnic jazz festival in Kishinev. Upon returning to the United States he began to work fishing in Alaska where he met Mary and Ryan. In 2006 he took his first trip to Guatemala and began working on the production of Poco a Poco.
Albert is now making a living as an interpreter in Seattle, WA. Still drinking wine and playing soccer...........
Christine Ng, was born in Hong Kong and grew up in New York City. Her passion for filmmaking began early--when she encountered a film production on the streets of Hong Kong. The cameras, the lights, and the palpable buzz were even more appealing than a trip to Disney.
At age 12 she picked up her first camera and took on the role of cinematographer for a school documentary. At 16 she participated in William H. Cosby's Future Filmmakers Workshop at the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television of New York University. She immersed herself in filmmaking and spent much her free time watching movies and making short films. As she continued to explore photography and filmmaking as a craft, film school was a natural progression.
In 2007, she graduated from New York University where she received a BFA in Film and Television. She was the recipient of the Bahoric-Miesel Female Cinematographer Scholarship for excellence in cinematography. While attending NYU she worked on over 50 student films and has freelanced on several independent films, commercials and music videos.
When given the opportunity to work as the cinematographer on Poco a Poco, she seized it. Working on location in the hot, sticky, bug infested jungle, surrounded by an unfamiliar culture was a HUGE challenge. But everyone in the community welcomed her with warm smiles and genuine hospitality, they were more than willing to share what little they had. The experience opened her eyes.
Now in her early twenties, Christine has successfully turned her childhood aspirations of being a filmmaker into a career. She is currently working for Park Pictures in New York as a Production Coordinator in the commercial industry.