What early memories do you have of becoming interested in film and photography? How does that come about?
For films and cinema, I have this memory of my childhood when I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. My parents used to let me watch Charlie Chaplin films like “The Gold Rush” and the silent short films. We had a VHS video player and they were putting cassettes into the video player and I would watch these films and I loved those films and I found them really entertaining. I really liked Chaplin and still he is one of my biggest inspirations, and someone I would reference as an influence on my approach to cinema.
It was, I think, when I was around 13 or 14 years old, I decided that I wanted to become a filmmaker. I wanted to pursue making films and to do audio-visual work.
What about your interest in photography?
I became interested in photography, it was, I think, around about the same time when I was maybe 14 or 15 years old. I found an analogue camera that belonged to my father, and I started to go out to the streets to take photos and since then it has become one of my passions.
What is it about photography that appeals to you?
I think I really like this idea of capturing moments, to be able to go back to those moments and to remember them. For me, it’s really important. And wherever I go, wherever I travel, I always bring the camera with me. It’s like an extension of myself. I feel like if I don’t bring it, something is going to be missing afterwards. I feel like I didn’t experience the whole trip if I cannot record or photograph the moments. I know I have my memory, but I also want to have the visual part of the experience where I can keep going back, time after time, and relive the moments.
When you decided to learn how to become a filmmaker and photographer did you get any support at home or at school?
My parents have always supported me. I mean they were, and are, my biggest supporters. They said if that’s what you want to do, then we will be here for you and we will support you 100% on your decision.
What about support at school?
With school, I didn’t go to a regular high school. It was high school technician course focusing on video. I would go to normal classes in the morning, mathematics and science, classes that you have in a regular high school, and then usually in afternoon we would have classes dedicated to video, like filming, editing or analysing films.
So you develop your craft, your skills, at school?
With film and video, it was a combination of doing it at school, working with the camera and video equipment, being taught how to work that equipment, as well as taking the equipment home, and working on it there.
But photography it’s different. I’m a self-taught photographer. I never went anywhere to study photography, I never did a course in photography. I just learned how to do it by taking photographs, working out how to do it myself.
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