Myrsini Aristidou
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
MYRSINI IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
Where are you from and what is it like there?
Paintings, photographs, books and wide-open windows. My most primary recollections are of walls bursting with images; of waking up at the earliest hour and of walking enthralled from room to room; of discovering unseen shapes from the background of paintings, moments in the lives of others and myself from photographs. And then I remember that I would step outside, toes in the sand, blue sky above, waves in my ears and the sun on my skin, the seagulls transporting me deep into my birthplace, Cyprus and the Mediterranean. A country at the crossroad of three continents, with 326 days of sunshine and 11,000 years of history and culture; an island of unmeasured beauty. Memories of drinking wine, smoking cigarettes, riding motorcycles, falling in and out of love, and mostly breaking all the rules that one can possibly break on an island.
What or who is inspiring you right now and why?
The realization that every story can be told in an infinite number of ways by the same person – the creative connection between memory, abstraction, and time. You will always adapt your story to whoever you are today, so inevitably the story always is an evolution of yourself (the storyteller) in the process.
So I would say, being aware of the present moment and living forward - that is what inspires me right now.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
NYU Tisch Grad Film has been a life-changing experience for me all together. I have come to understand and learn how to tell stories by using the incredible film medium. The “founding father” for that in this process has been Mick Casale - my mentor for life – and definitely the reason I can write any script today.
To me a movie is nothing more than a collection of moments that fall into place, one after the other. Just like life. You watch it and you live it, and you maybe know what to expect, but you most of the time don’t. And as a filmmaker, all you are doing is to try and connect these moments. Piece by piece, asking questions and finding answers.
"If you can't find spring, you make it. And either you go to play storm or you drown" -Odyseeas Elytis
Visit Myrsini's website, her short film Semele’s website, and Semele’s FB page.
Instagram & Twitter: myrsiniar