Rainforests, Film, and a Fresh Perspective: DU Students Reflect on Their Time in Costa Rica
Lessons that only studying abroad can teach you.
MFJS professor, Roma Sur, and eight students from DU traveled to Costa Rica. Courtesy photo.
This summer, eight undergraduate students, all studying different academic programs at the University of Denver (DU), embarked on a study abroad journey to Costa Rica, where they focused on environmental filmmaking.
Roma Sur, a visiting teaching assistant professor in the Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies (MFJS), taught and led the course, “Teaching Environmental Filmmaking in Costa Rica.” This course attracted students from various programs across DU, including film, international business, biochemistry, and computer science.
“My passion is to travel the world with my students, tell stories, and make films,” said Sur.
During the week-long immersive trip, the group explored the rich biodiversity of three microclimates with experienced tour guides, organized by DU’s community partner, World Strides. These microclimates included the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the tropical rainforest, and the wet rainforest of Tortuguero Island.
“Ziplining was probably one of the best experiences of my life,” said Greg Giarforcaro, a DU student majoring in film studies. “I was facing down on my stomach towards the ground, and I saw such a massive drop below me. It was the most beautiful rainforest view I’ve ever seen.”
From ziplining in the rainforests, to canoeing through Tortuguero, to participating in a Kinkajou ‘honey bear’ night tour, the trip was action-packed, with students filming and documenting their journey nonstop using a mixture of iPhones and Canon cameras with 360 lenses.
“When students come back to the U.S. with a changed perspective, it is the most fulfilling feeling,” Sur said. “Study abroad allows students to learn things that cannot be taught in books.”
While the students’ final projects highlighted the ethereal beauty of Costa Rica, many of their individual reflection papers throughout the course shared a common takeaway from their cultural immersion: the local saying "pura vida,” or pure life.
“Pura vida’ is not about pretending life is perfect, but instead choosing to smile, appreciate what you have, and get through it all, even when your life is challenging,” Melika Zare said, a DU student majoring in film studies, socio-legal studies, and psychology.
Costa Rica Through a Student Lens
One of the primary objectives of this course was to inspire students to create short non-fiction films and social media reels regardless of their experience in video production. Students in the course captured and edited their own content, sharing it more broadly on the course’s Instagram page, which was created by students to document their first-person perspectives and final projects abroad.
Madden Oliver, a marketing major, created a 30-second reel that explores the meaning of “pura vida,” as explained by their local tour guide, Esteban Carvajat.
Maddox Riley, an international business major, created a short film titled “Layers of Life,” which explores the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica from the forest floor to the canopy of trees and wildlife in the skies.
Jude Mayeux, a film studies major, created a music video of his experiences against the Costa Rican landscape: “After initially struggling to capture photos and videos of certain animals in the wild, due to their sporadic movements and awkward angles, I improved and improvised throughout the trip, which led to more inventive shots and angles.”
Favorite Experiences, Lasting Memories
Throughout the trip, students enjoyed breathtaking experiences such as exploring the butterfly sanctuary at Ecocentro Danaus and hiking 600 steps to the La Fortuna waterfall, followed by a swim at the bottom of the falls.
“Every place we visited was beautiful and unique. I learned that Costa Rica has 1700 different species of hummingbirds,” said Joanna Padilla Gonzalez, a biochemistry major at DU.
The trip ended with a tour of the Cafe Brit Coffee Farm, where the class was able to learn about the farming of Costa Rican coffee and taste-test different flavors.
In the future, Sur hopes to take another study abroad trip with her students to Mumbai to create a short documentary about Bollywood choreographers and extras in traditional grandiose dance sequences.
