TikTok has become home to the industry's next generation of filmmakers and narrative creatives. Among them is Beatrice Harrods, Like many filmmakers, Beatrice gained a passion for film through her first passion, storytelling. She sees herself as somehow who turns the reality which she observes daily into something more interesting and cinematic. Other than sharing her cinematic videos on TikTok, Beatrice has also created some short films as well, with her most recent being Frégoli. Today, we talk to Beatrice about all things film, the creative process, being a female director in the industry, and film as a storytelling medium.
How would you describe the types of videos you make?
I tell little stories about issues that matter to me and I give them meaning through music and images, trying to connect with the audience and make them feel something.
Can you tell me more about your passion in filmmaking?
I’ve been writing my own stories since I was three years old. At first I thought I wanted to be a writer, but, thanks to a family member, I discovered the world of creative photography when I was about eight and got my first video camera.
So, I was experimenting with that and I think that's what made me want to be a filmmaker. For as long as I can remember, I've liked to imagine other realities, but I think what I like most is to cause feelings in others and see their faces, to make people question things about reality through fiction. I do this all the time, even when I'm not making films. When I meet my friends or visit my family, the first thing they ask me is if I have any stories to tell.
I guess I like to observe reality and turn it into something interesting.
How does it feel being a director in an industry that has forever been dominated by men?
Sometimes it's frustrating. I know I've missed many opportunities in the industry just because I'm a woman, and I've seen the exact same thing happen to my female colleagues. Whenever I'm working, others come up to me to make sure if I'm really doing things right, I personally have never seen this with my male co-workers. There's also something that happens to me when people who don't know me find out that I'm in the film industry. Everyone thinks I'm an actress or a makeup artist, but no one expects a woman to be a film director. It's ridiculous.
Can you tell me about your creative process when making videos and films?
Many people ask me about this, and I think that, at least in my case, it's a very complicated thing to explain. It depends on the project, but I think music is a very important part of it for me.
Sometimes I hear a song and images come to my head, I try to explain them and from there a story is born that, in many cases, has nothing to do with the song. Other times, images just come out of nowhere into my head.
When I was a child and wrote stories, I had a habit that my mother hated, and is that before writing the story, I would think of the title, and from there I would write it, based entirely on the title. I still do this many times. Then I just organize all this information and get to work.
Your short film Frégoli on YouTube tells the story of the way in which grief over a loved one presents itself sometimes in the form of a mirage. How did you come up with this idea and what was it like making this film?
Fregoli tells the story of two sisters who love each other too much to say goodbye. I started writing this script when my little sister became a teenager and started going to parties until late. I would stay up all night without sleeping until she got home safe and sound. I realized that I had slowly become what my mother had been to me when I was younger. I didn't realize why she was doing it until I grew up and realized how dangerous life can be for a woman walking alone at night.
I wanted to offer a feminist and painful view of our reality as women, because I couldn't stand a life without my sister, my girl friends or my mother.
It was very difficult to make this project, it was my first short film and I didn't have any resources, so I had to experiment constantly. Luckily many people who knew me thanks to my social media helped me financially and also when it came to looking for extras it was easier.
Today I think I could have done a lot of things much better, but I guess that's the beautiful part of filmmaking, you never stop learning.
Films can oftentimes depict stories in ways that people have never thought of depicting them before. What do you think about film as a storytelling medium?
I think it's something magical. It's really something that obsesses me and that's mainly why I make films. When I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to this I had one thing very clear: I wanted to reach the lives of others through stories, so that in their own context they would think they needed to see and hear what I had to tell them. I think films are a very powerful and very necessary tool.
Are you currently working on any other projects at the moment?
Too many. Sometimes I get sad because I realize that there won't be enough life to tell everything I have to tell. I work on projects from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. Sometimes it's difficult to carry them out at the moment, because I'm just starting in this film world and I don't have too many resources.
What’s some advice you have for others who want to start filmmaking?
It's something very difficult to achieve, and I believe that only if you really love it can you achieve it, I'm still trying. That's why I think we have to be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves many times why we want to make films. Then, if you really love it, do it. It's going to be a very hard and very long road, but it doesn't matter because it's worth it to see how something that only existed in your head becomes real.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU THE VOICE OF MORE INSPIRING ARTISTS AND CHANGEMAKERS IN 2022.
STAY SAFE,
#TEAM IVA Interview conducted and written by Karis Fields