Welcome to my Documentary Project! This project was different from any of the projects I had done before because it focused on telling someone else’s story rather than my own. For this project, I explored the story of Maison Alyzée, a local French bakery in Mountain View, and the role it plays in preserving culture and building community. Out of all the projects I completed this year, this was one of the most challenging but also one of the most rewarding because it involved conducting interviews, gathering research, creating a documentary book, and writing a magazine-style article.

The driving question behind this project was: How do you creatively and truthfully portray a significant person, group, place, idea, or issue in the community? In other words, how can you tell a compelling story while remaining accurate and respectful to the people involved? To answer this question, we were asked to combine primary research, such as interviews, with secondary research from articles and other sources. Our goal was not only to tell a story but also to explain why that story matters today.

When I first started this project, I planned to focus on the Victorian houses in the Bay Area because I was interested in their architecture and history. However, as I began reaching out to potential interview subjects, I realized that the sources I had found were not reliable enough for the type of documentary I wanted to create. Some people were difficult to contact, while others could not provide the information or interviews I needed. Because strong interviews are such an important part of a documentary project, I decided to change my topic and look for something that would give me more opportunities for firsthand research.

Although changing topics was frustrating at first, it ultimately led me to Maison Alyzée. The switch allowed me to conduct meaningful interviews, gather personal stories, and create a stronger documentary that was based on both research and direct experiences. Looking back, I am glad I made the change because it helped me produce a more authentic and engaging final project.

Looking back on this documentary project, I am proud of how much I grew throughout the process. At the start, I thought the hardest part would be writing the article, but I quickly realized that finding a topic, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable research were just as challenging. I even had to change my topic from Victorian houses because my interview sources were not reliable enough. Although that was frustrating, it taught me the importance of flexibility and adapting when things do not go according to plan.

One of the most valuable parts of this project was learning how to connect with people in my community. Interviewing employees from Maison Alyzée helped me gain confidence in communicating with others and asking meaningful questions. I also learned how to combine personal stories with research to create a documentary that was both informative and engaging. Rather than simply collecting facts, I had to think about why the story mattered and how to present it in a way that would interest readers.

Overall, this project helped me strengthen my research, writing, communication, and critical thinking skills. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone and showed me how much work goes into creating a documentary. Most importantly, it helped me appreciate the stories that exist within local communities and the impact that small businesses can have on the people around them. This was one of the most challenging projects I have completed, but it was also one of the most rewarding.

Click to view article

Proccess

Eli Arbid, general manager of quality and french experience at Maison Alyzèe

Vera Ginzburg, Product Led Growth Developer for Google and regular customer of Maison Alyzèe

Thank You

As I wrap up this project, I would like to thank everyone who helped make it possible. First, thank you to Mr. Greco for guiding me through the documentary process and providing valuable feedback that helped strengthen my writing and research. I would also like to thank Mr. Florendo and Ms. Parkinson for teaching me how to use Adobe InDesign and for constantly encouraging me to improve my work and attention to detail.

In addition, I want to thank my classmates for their support throughout the project. Their feedback, encouragement, and willingness to share ideas helped me stay motivated, and I appreciated having the opportunity to support them as well. This project would not have been the same without the guidance and collaboration of the people around me.