When Pat Wisniewski, of Valparaiso, first embarked on a college education, she likely didn’t realize what a powerful career she’d chosen.

The Indiana University Northwest alumna was once a steelworker who wrote plays and stowed them under her bed until she decided to return to school in her 40s and pursue a bachelor’s degree in communication.

Back then, she had no idea that the title of “documentary filmmaker” would be one of those careers that has the power to change the world.

Agents of change

Wisniewski’s stories are the kind that can take years to research and recount thoroughly and accurately. Stories that seek truth from all sides. Stories that provide a more balanced perspective of the world.

Since graduating in 2009, two of the most significant films she has worked on include “Everglades of the North,” a story about the Grand Kankakee Marsh and the importance of wetlands; and “Shifting Sands,” a story that chronicles the last 100 years of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Both were nominated for Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards.

“When we make these films,” Wisniewski says, “we show the good, the bad, the ugly, but we always end with hope. We create awareness of a topic in a way that helps foster change.”

As an example, Wisniewski recently met with a representative of the Izaak Walton League, a national conservation organization, who told her “Everglades of the North” helped to create the awareness needed to establish a national wildlife refuge.

“The folks at the Izaak Walton League struggled for years to get that refuge off the ground,” Wisniewski said. “They just couldn’t get public opinion behind it. Once the documentary came out, people learned about what wetlands are and how important they are. And that helped them to push through the national wildlife refuge.”

“Everglades” took three years to complete, with a crew of four (Wisniewski, along with Jeff Manes, Emmy winner and fellow IU Northwest alumnus Brian Kallies, and Tom Desch). Now, six years after its completion, work continues on getting the film in front of audiences and using it as an educational tool.

Shaping the future

When Wisniewski was nearly finished working on “Everglades of the North,” she heard from a world-renowned local environmentalist, Lee Botts, who wanted to tell the story of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Released in 2016, “Shifting Sands” explores the co-existence of industry and the natural environment in Northwest Indiana. It addresses the struggle of creating jobs and driving the economy, while also sustaining the region’s expansive plant biodiversity and fresh water resource. It was produced and directed by Wisniewski, along with producers Lee Botts, Tom Desch, and Rana Segal, and associate producers Paul Nelson, Brian Kallies, and Mathew Keene.

Like “Everglades,” the film has been a catalyst for change. Growing awareness about threats to the lakeshore’s delicate ecosystems has led to more deliberate actions to protect them. The film even inspired an act of Congress, with an official request to designate the Indiana Dunes as a national park.

Now that the story is out, the work to bring it to classrooms and incorporate it into curriculums is underway. Teachers are getting free DVDs and curriculum guides to use in their classrooms.

“This is the most exciting part of my work,” Wisniewski says, “because this is the future.”

Taking risks, for the greater good

One thing Wisniewski has learned is that while documentaries can indeed change the world, they are a risky enterprise. Documentary filmmakers do not earn a regular paycheck, and in fact, often foot the bill of producing their films with no guarantees of a later payoff. They look for organizations and private donors to sponsor their work.

That’s why Wisniewski calls the films a “labor of love.” It’s not about the money, she says. She started a production company, “For Goodness Sakes Productions,” which aims to help people take a more in-depth look at things and ultimately, create awareness that drives change.

Currently, she is working on telling a challenging story about race relations and unequal opportunities and what happened when a group of people rallied for acceptance and change.

Reflecting on her 10-year career as a filmmaker, and the continuing education she receives every day, Wisniewski shares some wisdom about the uniqueness of her IU Northwest education.

“What’s so special about IU Northwest,” Wisniewski says, “is how the campus’s diversity enhances its education. From age to ethnic background, IU Northwest has every type of student. You can sit in class and be learning about history and someone right there next to you actually experienced the Vietnam War. You can talk about civil rights in class and be sitting right next to someone who lived through that time. You can’t get that kind of education anywhere else. That was so eye-opening and wonderful for me.”

Photo provided

Pat Wisniewski, third from left, teamed up with environmentalist Lee Botts, second from left, and others to bring "Shifting Sands," a story of the Indiana Dunes to film.