Hederr Perez Collaborates with Diane Brache and Telekinetic Walrus on Your Life Is a Movie
Categories: Film/Video
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| Hederr Perez with Albert Manduca (sound engineer) |
Surprised that Miami had such a reputable filmmaking scene, Perez embarked on a journey with her camera to tell a story that includes life, love, and a lot of North Miami -- a neighborhood not exactly known for inspiring much art.
Perez spent the past year brainstorming ideas and working on her first short film with the goal of directing "a project that meant something." The result, Your Life Is a Movie, includes a series of short, didactic short film installments. Each one introspectively examines the life of a character created by Perez. The first episode of the series explores two lovers, specifically Hazel Sanchez's desire to win back her lost love Ernesto.
The installment, "Your Life is a Movie: Hazel,"
portrays a woman known for her bright imagination but
plagued by her inadequate social skills. Hazel, who is a self-proclaimed
"credulous romantic," is a raw artist who has difficulty coping
with the realities of the outside world.
"Hazel is an interesting paradox when you consider her talents. She performs well on stage, she commands in the bedroom but can't readily express herself in regular settings," states Perez. The below trailer gives us a small glimpse into Hazel's life and love troubles, with scenes at Churchill's Pub and other familiar North Miami neighborhoods.
"Hazel is an interesting paradox when you consider her talents. She performs well on stage, she commands in the bedroom but can't readily express herself in regular settings," states Perez. The below trailer gives us a small glimpse into Hazel's life and love troubles, with scenes at Churchill's Pub and other familiar North Miami neighborhoods.
The Your Life Is a Movie series incorporates DIY, including raw, documentary style camera work, a small budget, and a low-fi approach to editing. Most of the crew, production team, and actors consisted of local friends such as Diane Brache, music group Telekinetic Walrus and the Pride of Ions, and set designer Jenny Cavallo.
Through DIY ethos, Perez worked on teaching herself how to use a camera and edit scenes. She gave herself a year to complete the project -- from writing the script to editing the film. During the process, Perez became extremely involved with each character. "My creative process required for me to be isolated a great majority of the year. I can't help but become the characters I write about, long enough to understand and emphasize with their personal hell," explains Perez.
Though strenuous and burdened with obstacles, Perez considers the week shooting "Your Life Is a Movie: Hazel" to have been a highlight of her life. And while she cites Miami filmmakers
such as Peter Glanz and Barry Jenkins as inspirations, Perez is most
drawn to Parisian Vincent Moon's
experimental and poetic films.
"He makes his films all over the world, working with extraordinary talent, without a budget and on his own terms," states Perez. Although she might not be on Moon's level, yet, the young filmmaker hopes to screen her short films at a festival like Borscht someday.
"He makes his films all over the world, working with extraordinary talent, without a budget and on his own terms," states Perez. Although she might not be on Moon's level, yet, the young filmmaker hopes to screen her short films at a festival like Borscht someday.
Next,
the Mumblecore-influenced "Your Life Is a Movie" will travel to Barcelona to tell the
story of Cassandra, who also happens to be a friend of Hazel's. Once the
short film is complete, Perez plans to make her way around the states to
introduce and screen her films.
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