Ifeyinwa Arinze
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
IFEYINWA IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS, AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
For me, home is wherever I feel grounded and safe to unfurl, and it’s mainly wherever my mom and brother are in the world. I’ve also experienced home in Lagos, Nigeria, which is where I was born and raised–a city that is often brash, unabashedly chaotic and intensely vibrant. I’ve been in the U.S. for twelve years now and I’ve also found home in Western Massachusetts and in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which has a special place in my heart because it’s where I regained my footing in life and decided to pursue film.
What is currently inspiring you as a filmmaker?
It's quite a hodgepodge of things. I've always been a keen observer, more eager to watch than speak. So I'm always drawn to behavior, noticing the things that tend to go unnoticed or might seem irrelevant: the kid who drapes his leg over his dad's thigh, the boy who clutches his mom's hand as he sits in the barber chair, the mother-son pair who count down from three before leaping out the subway car onto the platform. It's all so specific and enlivening. I also draw a lot of inspiration from Black women. I'm constantly exploring more ways to see and embrace Black women and Black female vulnerability on screen so I find myself drifting towards images and stories that depict that, such as the work of Aleshea Harris, Francesca Ekwuyasi, Danielle McKinney and Yagazie Emezi. Lastly, I'm doing an independent study with Gail Segal on films with child protagonists in which the specificificity of the environment contributes to the protagonist's arc. It's been really inspiring to break down the elements of each film and talk about the tools each filmmaker uses to hold our attention.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
My goodness, what would my time at Grad Film be without the people I’ve met? Without the space to make work that has helped me explore and strengthen my voice? I came to Grad Film from a background in neuroscience and research so I arrived brimming with a thirst for community, knowledge and exploration. I’ve gotten all of that and then some. The community I've gained is honestly invaluable and the work I've been able to create has been clarifying as it's helped me better understand my process and obsessions. It's all been such a gift in spite of the pandemic, and all that my class has been through together.
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