My journey with Sight For All - from unplanned short film to feature documentary.

Three years ago, I read about an Adelaide Ohpthalmologist called Dr James Muecke in "The Australian". The article spoke about James' work in developing countries with Sight For All - the charity he helped establish. In particular, the article focused on his recent work in Myanmar.

I went to Myanmar in 2009. It was a place I'd longed to see and one I long to return to. The Myanmar connection sparked my interest in Sight For All's work and inspired me to write to James offering to help out - should they need a documentary filmmaker.

Three years later, I end up in Hanoi, Vietnam and Dhaka, Bangladesh filming James as he supports local Ophthalmologists with the regular training that is part of Sight For All's work.

After just four short days in Hanoi, I end up in Yen Bai in northern Vietnam - a 10 hour overnight bus and motorbike journey that sees me in a tiny village in a dirt floor hut spending the next 24 hours with the most gracious family. The family are Hmong people - an ethnic minority of Vietnam. They don't have a lot but they have huge hearts. Their two small daughters have both been diagnosed with Retinoblastoma - a form of childhood eye cancer. The youngest daughter Bang, has had one eye removed and is having chemotherapy treatment for the tumours in her other eye.

Some months after having returned home, I created a short 2 minute video for Sight For All to raise awareness about their work for a fundraising campaign in July. I've also recently finished the rough cut of a 15 minute film about Bang and her sister Vang that looks at Retinoblastoma and the impact Sight For All is having in relation to diagnosis and treatment.

But Bang and Vang are among the 'lucky' ones. The ones that have had diagnosis early enough to ensure that while an eye had to be removed, life has not been lost.

My journey with Sight For All is only just beginning. The story of Bang and Vang will be completed early next year after I return to Vietnam for additional footage. That film will be used to help raise awareness about the work of Sight For All and there's already discussion about it being translated into Vietnamese. In addition to this, my time in Vietnam inspired me to want to create a bigger documentary - one aimed at international film festivals. I believe there is a very powerful, intimate and important story to be told – personal stories of heart, passion, compassion and determination that would serve to touch on bigger issues. This was inspired by my experience with not only Dr Muecke but also with two female doctors at the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology - Drs Chau and Trang.

I thrive on these journeys. Journeys that begin with a small doorway and develop into larger paths with exciting and widespread potential - a short film to the start of a feature documentary for international release. I look forward to sharing the story of Bang and Vang here in the coming months. For more information about me and my work, please visit: