Currently Untitled - meeting my dad post-mortem

I will be shooting a documentary this summer, when I go home, with the intention of exploring the life and death of my father through the people that knew him best as well as his own writings and videos, hoping to learn about the man I was only beginning to know and connect to on an adult level. Not yet fully self-aware or, for that matter, not aware of much of anything, I have only my pre-thirteen-year-old memory and understanding of people to rely on, and can only remember him after he was diagnosed. This is not the only way I would like to know him, and thats where you come in. Without my dad to tell me about his life (before he was diagnosed, and after), I have only photos, videos, and the knowledge of other people to draw from. I am very intrigued by memory and what defines a person, and feel that with interviews from the people that knew my father the best, I can finally piece together (with an adult mindset and level of comprehension) who my father was and really understand the tragedy which he suffered.
This idea of trying to learn about a person post-mortem provides a number of problems and questions, and thusly, this video will be an exploration of so many things: Memory, human connection, childrens comprehension, as well as mental illness, and ultimately, death.
I am currently outlining the project and contacting interviewees for June shoot dates, some of whom I have not seen for up to a decade. I need some basic camera and sound equipment since I will be operating as a one-woman crew and will be without my school’s equipment (it closes for the summer) or money for rentals. This is one of two senior projects I am interested in doing and would like to have the opportunity to challenge myself this summer. If you’re interested in helping me, please share this with anyone that you think would be excited about the project and could donate a little to someone finishing up their education and starting a future. Thanks!