HILLIA AHO
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
HILLIA IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS, AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
1. Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
I am from midcoast Maine. I grew up in an isolated spot in the woods by a river, and spent much of my time outside, creating my own entertainment in the natural world. I was quick to move away after high school, but frequently miss it now. I haven’t found a place I can call home in quite the same way.
2. What is currently inspiring you as a filmmaker?
I am currently pulling from a multitude of relationships and experiences, from my personal history and that of my family. I love analyzing the eras of relationships, and how dynamics shift and grow as people do. I’m inspired by all of the people in my life who are doing the hard work towards positive change in their lives and communities. I’m inspired by my younger sister’s heartfelt quest for self-understanding, my dad’s humble generosity, my partner’s astounding capacity for empathy, my grandmother’s eloquent contemplations of her life and life itself.
3. What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
It’s been incredibly rewarding to have a peer group of such interesting, creative people of so many different perspectives. Bringing a small group of classmates to my hometown to shoot my second year film was a rewarding and unforgettable experience on so many levels. The shoot was entirely outdoors, and it was freezing cold and snowing half the time, but the enthusiasm and determination of the crew never faltered. It was the first time I actually enjoyed myself while directing, and I credit that to the hard-working, fun-to-be-around people who gave so much to the project.