What Happens After the Story is Told?
A creator or team pours their heart into researching, scripting, producing, and editing a beautiful story. But then what? Who sees it? What impact does it make?
These were the questions we asked during the Viva Voz Fellowship, a program we launched with Colombia’s Truth Commission to support storytellers tackling issues of transitional justice. One standout project, Un pedazo de paz (A Piece of Peace), found a great answer.
A Story with a Purpose
Here’s how the creators explain the animated series in a nutshell: “Sixty years of war shattered Colombia into countless scattered and confusing fragments. Un pedazo de paz illustrates eight testimonies from survivors of the conflict. Through their pain, experiences, and hopes, they call on us to resist the devastation of violence and fear.”
The series followed the usual route—screenings at film festivals. But the creators had a bigger vision. They didn’t want the films to be just something people watched. They wanted them to spark conversations—real, meaningful discussions about people’s experiences with the armed conflict and their role in building peace.
Taking the Story to Classrooms
Where better to start these conversations than in high schools and universities? These are spaces where people have the time and openness to explore complex issues. And in Colombia, classrooms often reflect the conflict itself—bringing together children of displaced families, relatives of kidnapped individuals, or even those with connections to the police, paramilitary groups, or guerrillas.
Jacobo and his team created a simple but powerful methodology for these workshops. First, they prepared students to watch the films. Afterward, they encouraged participants to draw their emotions, write personal anecdotes, and discuss the various forms of violence depicted.
Empowering Teachers as Ambassadors
Jacobo’s team understood the need to go further. For these conversations to spread, they needed “champions”. They recognized that many Colombian teachers want to discuss the armed conflict in their classrooms but often lack the time and resources to develop materials.
The team designed a concise guide to help them use the series as a centerpiece for workshops. It explained the project, outlined the methodology, and provided access to the episodes. With this guide, teachers could run workshops themselves, sharing the stories and engaging new groups of students.
This approach extended the project’s reach beyond fleeting social media posts. Instead, it fostered deeper, lasting engagement. Social media may grab attention for a moment, but a workshop has the power to leave a real, lasting impression.
Rethinking Storytelling’s Impact
Image: some of activities that the Mecha team organizes with students before and after the screening of the short films.
This is where impact production comes in—a growing trend, especially in non-fiction storytelling. It reimagines storytelling as a process with a bigger goal. Instead of ending at production, it focuses on three key questions:
1. What change can this story inspire?
2. Which grassroots organizations can help amplify its impact?
3. How can we ensure the story reaches the right audience and drives meaningful action?
Learning from the documentary Alis (2022)
Take the Colombian documentary “Alis” (2022), for example. It didn’t stop with festival screenings. Instead, its creators partnered with Fundación Tiempo de Juego to support young people transitioning out of child protection systems or juvenile justice centers.
The campaign provided psychosocial support, opportunities for skill-building, and programs to foster independence. It also invited communities to help through donations and activities, creating new support networks for these vulnerable youth.
These principles apply not only to audiovisual productions but to all storytelling projects, including oral histories and archives. Before starting a project, it is worth asking: Who is it for? What impact could it have on the community? Large budgets are not necessary to create something powerful. Sometimes, all that is needed is intention and a commitment to make connections.