I met C. Diaz, @shinykid through a mutual friend Andres, @asiiiro where he introduced us at the Orange Valley Art Show. C has taught me the power of film and what really goes into the production and the process of it. While being an artist they are foremost a film maker, but it's not just your average film, but very experimental and abstract. I am certainly excited to learn more and so can you by checking out ENTRE, @entre.tx, but for now let's get this film rolling on this week's feature!
C starts us off by sharing what they have been enjoying as of recently as they say "I've been enjoying walks in Mcallen and taking in the sunset. It's been nice and breezy finally getting into some sweater weather." It's sweater weather for a day, but as they say "I'm dreaming!" C continues by mentioning a couple of local individuals "Tropicasa and everyone who runs the place and with everything they are creating it to be. I love what Xuan is doing with augmented realities and visual arts. I love Ale she's very inspiring to watch as she grows and what she creates as an artist. I love her make up and her looks. I've been jamming out to the Hi Marcus album since it's dropped. I've been meeting a lot of individuals in the scene such as Glutenisfree at her exhibition as an example. There's also Andrés Garza and Neighborhood Molino as one of the artists in the RGV. Their love of maiz, food and history shines through all the dishes they create. My faves so far have been the hibiscus tacos, tetela en nogada, and the masa pancakes (a staple menu item at their brunch on Sunday's at CC's Sweets & Treats)!" I've met and worked with a couple of these individuals and they are really nice and truly have a passion for what they do. I hope to also keep meeting more local creatives as the time goes by!
What can C tells us about their work involving film "Since I've moved back I've been meaning to start up a film co-op/center/regional center due to being one when I was in Los Angeles. We can truly find the people and build the space and the community for this. When it comes to personal film projects and I have a couple in post, but I'm also working on a film poem with my friend Christopher Perez he's a poet and is also form the RGV. We're collaborating on a piece together and I'm including some of my film diary and pieces for it. It's different from what I usually do, but that's what I like which is to keep things different. I'm working on another film which is due at the end of the year and it's about sacred places in Los Angeles. We were commissioned to make films about people or places doing good for the community. I chose the The Arroyo Seco which is a waterway and it focuses on the history of that region. What it meant then and what it means now. Kinda like the psycho-spiritual nature of it all. It's a very nature inspired film shot on 16mm. We got very beautiful and cool water shots. I'm excited to get back to editing it and putting it together." It surely sounds like C has a full plate of work, but overall it also sounds like it's fun and an enjoyable experience for sure being able to tackle different things. I look forward to watching the end of the year film as well. I can imagine it right now and it's amazing. The way C mentions the film being "the psycho-spiritual nature of it all. It's a very nature inspired film shot on 16mm. We got very beautiful and cool water shots" along with mentioning of its history the way C describes it to even build the film in your mind is pretty interesting and very detailed then again you are reading about a film MAKER.
From all these projects in the works and completed ones how exactly did C gain an interest in film as they explain "I started working with in college when I was in UT Austin. We were doing art projects centered around maps of walks, but that weren't real. One of the projects was to paint to film. At the moment I was working on film and really just lit up my brain and I just fell in love with painting on film. I just love the tactile of the film from holding it and scratching it and bleaching it and putting it through the sewing machine and seeing the outcome when it would be projected." Being in the same room as C as they mentioned "I just love the tactile of the film from holding it and scratching it and bleaching it and putting it through the sewing machine and seeing the outcome when it would be projected." They sounded so happy and passionate about what they do. How they let themselves be creative. As C mentions the process of what's done with the film that's when I imagined a smile behind the mask and that's just what it's all about. Taking joy in the "little things" but it's a lot for other individual and in this case it's C. Their college course really did open up a new door for them and I'm glad they can smile and enjoy every moment of it and every new project coming their way.
As they started college courses to now how has C seen their progress throughout the years? "I feel like all the films I make hmm well I make a film every year well this year its two! I look back into the process and seeing the final product. A lot of my films deal with self exploration and dealing with layers you have to peel off your own person hood and building it back up again. Each film that I've made since then unknowingly and knowingly has been the root of the films especially the more abstract films due to working better with emotional responses. A lot of my films come from a very deep emotional space. It wouldn't have be realized if I didn't talk about them that way. I can remember what I feeling and the questions I asked myself and how it translates into them. At this point I'm just refining who I think I should be and looking back at these films and it gets reflected as I thinking about the moment when I was putting this together and It's probably only towards to me." When it does come to work creating for oneself along with what C mentions "It gets reflected as I was thinking about the moment I was putting this together and it's probably towards only me" and reading that makes me think of a quote "isn't the point of art less about what people put into it and more what people get out of it?" I say this as I watched Dejar by C. Diaz and reading "Oscillating between the calm and the chaotic—an eternal cycle we all learn to navigate. A romper, a destruir, y continuar (sigue) a vivir." I watched the film and seeing how it started and how it progressed through each chapter made me think about moments of my life along with the emotion being evoked throughout the film along with the music. Seeing it all go by fast and seeing the moment of anger and a portrayal of angst as there was a glimpse of wood being chopped, but there's more to it than that. We return back to the spec as we were in the beginning, but let us not forget this is a CYCLE as it returns you begin to see it change again as we do as well. It can repeat itself and C mentions as well in relation to this " A lot of my films deal with self exploration and dealing with layers you have to peel off your own person hood and building it back up again." Even if these are C's emotions portrayed in the film she mentioned "it's probably towards only me," but here I am having a moment of connectivity with their work. C does also have a point as I watched Dejar "especially the more abstract films due to working better with emotional responses" it did evoke emotion out of me and what about you? Take a moment to watch the film and tell us what you think. Overall great work by C. Diaz!
C mentions "Dejar focuses on the dualities of life and being in-balanced between the extremes. From extreme emotions to extreme life situations and being able to find the equilibrium that okayness in this limbo. Knowing that we can give into the chaos but we have to pull ourselves out. This an experimental abstract film. It was when they were focusing on coloring and they were practicing with the tonalities of black and white and the in between."
The film above is by C. Diaz "Quien bien ama nunca olvida" as the description says "Quien bien ama nunca olvida (One never forgets a great love) is a love letter to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. By weaving archival footage from her family's archive alongside present-day vignettes, abstract animation and text, the filmmaker investigates her evolving fascination with the region. As humans we analyze and romanticize memory and experience, and as time goes on, we lose track of the facts. The filmmaker asks: What truth do we hide from others, or, maybe most importantly, deny ourselves?" I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
We probably all consume some sort of media from videos on social media, to movies, to animations, and much more, but what can be said to give an abstract piece/experimental film a chance? As C says "One of my passions is to bring in and introduce abstract and experimental film. My hope is to introduce these films to the people and have discussions over what we finished. I don't think I can convince someone to watch an experimental film over a blockbuster due to it not being something everyone can gravitate towards to. There is ways to involve the public into these sort of films and learn about the d.i.y aspect about it! Even as an artist you can also turn it into a film and we can learn that as well. I do feel artists do want to work with film and just know that it is possible to put your art into film!" It's all about giving something a chance and that's is how we are able to find new music or new shows or new movies we enjoyed and have been experience to witness. I do watch some films, but I am picky with my choices. I do enjoy videogames more and those have been an experience for me. My choice in books have changed as well. I am being introduced to new things and now having the possibility of learning more about experimental film and getting hopefully more hands on with it would be amazing! I look forward to the many ways.
If C had to make a starter pack of experimental movies for us to watch as they begin by saying "The ones that got me into painting on film would have to be by Len Lye and he worked at a post office and he had to make films for them and he would go radical with them along with being really colorful and cool! Him and Norman McLaren were doing really cool abstract films in the 40s involving paint on film. Along with Maya Deren who is the godmother of experimental cinema! There's just so many! These are just some of my favorites. One film that blew my mind is called DAISIES by Vera Chytilova the movie is so incredible! The type of non linear story along with colors and the techniques there's just so many ways to create a film!" The list goes on and on for sure! The videos for some of the mentioned films will be down below. I can't wait to dig into these films myself as well.
With everything that C is doing how would they like to explore/experiment with their work as they explain? "I am exploring new ways of manipulation in the digital world with my works. I'm dipping back into it for sure, but when it comes to analog experimentation I really want to explore the idea of character and dialogue. How we can shape characters and the thing is I don't do a lot character based work so I would like it to involve the concept of desire, but of course it'd be abstract and in a non-linear way. I have the idea, but it'll get there!" From every film C has watched and created they can certainly piece just about anything together due to their experience! I look forward to their future works and the ideas that blossom from it.
C shares their thoughts on the Valleys local scene,
"The local scene is thriving right now! There's a lot of creatives here and being able to work and meet them is great! We have a great community, but I would like the film screening to get in the mix with that and that's what Entre, @entre.tx would be about. I want to bring more art into the cinematic realm. There's a lot and I've been calling it the border renaissance and it's just super special right now. I'm excited for what's to come."
C shares their final comment as well,
"For Entre that we are establishing in the RGV we are having a platica here at the incubator on October 9th. We are going to go over what the Film Center entails and its core values. It's a cooperative so you don't have to make films to be apart of it we are looking for people who would love to be apart of it and would like to participate for what's to come! We have the meeting next week on October 9th and it will be live as well if you can't make it. It will be from 2pm to 4pm."
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