Thati Peele
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
THATI IS CURRENTLY A THESIS STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
1. Where you from and what is it like there?
I hail from sunny South Africa.
I was raised in a boisterous family with 24 first cousins and many aunts and uncles.
South Africa is a beautiful country and a cultural melting pot aptly nick-named ‘the rainbow nation’. We gained democracy in 1994 after the fall of apartheid and it’s been exciting to be part of a young republic’s rollercoaster of ups and downs. Growing up in Johannesburg has given me the certainty that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to; it’s vibrant, politically engaged and alive!
2. What or who is inspiring you right now and why?
In my experience truth is stranger than fiction. I draw inspiration from the stories around me, from news articles, books and from interesting people. We are in the midst of extraordinary elections, civil wars that make us question our humanity and reality TV stars have become our new thought leaders. It’s an exciting time to be alive, albeit rather confusing.
In prepping for my sci-fi feature, I’ve also started to focus on a director who sparks my interest for six weeks at a time. I watch her/his body of work and pieces which inspired it. This round is Welles.
3. What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
Firstly,
My first short film was good; my second short was emo and god awful. That was a great experience. It taught me that I can’t be in the audience to explain why an action, sound clip or frame is off so I’d better get it right when I can! It also taught me to value consistent improvement over anything else. Whether you think you’ve failed or ‘nobody’ likes your work, if your sixth film finally nailed that tone or sequence you can go to bed happy wake up and tackle the next one.
Secondly,
I’ve met some of my best friends here. Learning how to make good films is tough, you need to fortify yourself with a lot of laughter!
Visit Thati's website here