sans toit ni loi is an evocative short film that ventures beyond conventional storytelling, immersing viewers in a visually stunning exploration of freedom and defiance. The film follows a young woman's escape from a psych ward as she embraces the symbolic wilderness of Central Park to liberate herself from societal constraints and patriarchal expectations.

My archival video project, You Saw Me Young, is an exploration of how I imagined my father's childhood in 1970s/1980s Pittsburgh. Through the careful curation of found footage sourced from old movies and archives, I weave a tapestry of nostalgia and imagination, allowing viewers to experience a world that once belonged to him. I deliberately chose an Elvis Presley song, a melody that once wafted through the rooms of his formative years, threading its way into the very fabric of his existence, and in turn, became an indelible part of my memory of my own childhood.In the process of creating You Saw Me Young, I carefully selected footage from three specific movies that resonated with the essence of my father's childhood. These films, like fragments of a distant past, offer glimpses into the sights of that era. Footage of the Rust Belt, with its fading steel industry, becomes more than just a backdrop; it is a symbol of resilience, transformation, and the enduring human spirit. You Saw Me Young is not just an archival video project; it's an exploration, a tribute, and a heartfelt endeavor to comprehend the world that molded my father into the person he is today.

Found Footage:

The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1972)

The Deer Hunter, directed by Michael Cimino (1979)

Full Metal Jacket, directed by Stanley Kubrick (1987)

Archival footage from Internet Archive and YouTube

Music by Elvis Presley, Blue Moon (1956)

In my film, Frozen At That Age, I draw inspiration from Sofia Coppola's cinematic masterpiece, The Virgin Suicides (1999), to explore the delicate intricacies of human experience. Much like Coppola's poetic portrayal of the Lisbon sisters, I delve into the profound depths of the unnoticed, the forgotten, and the seemingly mundane aspects of my own life. Through meticulous attention to detail, my film captures the minutiae of my own apartment, illuminating the often-overlooked fragments of existence. The camera becomes a tool to magnify the significance of these subtle nuances, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty in the ordinary. Central to the narrative is a poignant voiceover, extracted from a diary entry penned more than a year ago. This introspective monologue not only serves as a window into my innermost thoughts but also evokes the haunting reminiscence of the narrator in 'The Virgin Suicides.' I grapple with a profound paradox: feeling suspended in time, frozen at the age of 15, while chronologically advancing beyond those formative years. Ultimately, this film stands as my ode to Sofia Coppola, an homage to her ability to capture the essence of fleeting moments and the timeless struggle of the human condition. Frozen At That Age is not just a visual narrative; it is a visceral, evocative journey.

The process of creating this project was both emotional and illuminating. I have always had a fascination with photos of my parents together, as they are now divorced. Through this project, I am exploring the complexities of their relationship and take the viewer through it, starting at their first date and ending at their wedding. I wanted to use this project to showcase their once shared love for each other and create a narrative where in 2023 that love somehow still exists. I interviewed both my parents over the phone about six different memories with accompanying photos. As I listened to their separate accounts of events and memories, I was struck by how similarly yet differently they remembered certain moments. By blending their interviews together, it almost seemed as if they were having a conversation in the present, despite the fact that the photos were taken decades ago. Through the use of audio and visual elements, I hoped to create a sense of intimacy and connection between my parents and the viewer. This project highlights the power of photography to connect us to our past and to each other. Despite their divorce, these photos remain a powerful reminder of their shared history and the ways in which their lives have intersected over time and how I am a direct result of that. Overall, this project allowed me to explore the complexities of memory and the archive through the lens of my own family history.