My biggest concern with the future is that we as Americans have been showcasing our lack of empathy and our separation from community and its importance. The pandemic and how people responded and reacted to it really drove home this point for me. Storytelling helps with this if we all take time out of our… Read More @ShaylaRacquel: What is your biggest concern with the future?

I was born with Sickle Cell Disease and at 12 years old, due to complications with the disease, I had a stroke. To cope, I used writing and the art of storytelling as a way of escapism. I fell in love with the art form which eventually brought me to my love of filmmaking.

I had many moments in my life from grade school through adulthood that drew me to considering filmmaking as a career, but I believe it was after graduating from college that solidified it as no longer a choice, but a will. I was about 22 years old working IT helpdesk support in Washington, DC, and… Read More @ShaylaRacquel: Why did you decide to get into this industry?

This is my Instagram profile https://www.instagram.com/iris.cine/ Here are some videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cineabsinto/videos Some photos:  https://absintoverde.wixsite.com/irisdeoliveira I’m developing a script for a feature-length poetic experimental documentary about memory and photography.

With my photographs and films, I am looking to create connections with the essence of the places I live in through a black perspective. I am passionate about carnival and talking to the elderly. I am interested in the history, archives, and memory of the black community. Without knowledge of our ancestral memory, we will… Read More @iris.cine: What, if anything, do you collect?

Always have a plan B, believe in your ideas, be true to the process itself, set healthy boundaries, be curious, generous, and put passion into everything you do. Allow yourself to dream and connect with the future respecting the paths of ancestry.

I value and celebrate all the small and big victories in my career. From my first short film (and the applause of my fellow students), my mother’s tears watching a movie I made for her, my editing work shown in big movie theaters, a loving commentary on a video in my youtube channel.

As a black woman, keep me physically and mentally healthy. Avoid violence. I worry about the course of my country (Brazil), which at the moment is destroyed at the hands of corrupt and racist politicians.

I believe that waking up every day, opening my eyes, putting my feet on the ground, being aware of one’s existence, and feeling part of society are “decisive” moments. Be open-minded to see opportunities. Create opportunities.  Any move decides the course of history (each departure and each return). It is important to have the management… Read More @iris.cine: What’s a defining moment in your life?

Cinema is an art that moves me deeply. A spiritual relationship. I can better understand the world and myself in contact with the cinematographic language. I’ve been fascinated by audiovisual and creating stories since I was a child. For the possibility of creating worlds, changing worlds using the tools of cinema. I have been working… Read More @iris.cine: Why did you decide to get into this industry?