Today we’d like to introduce you to Monika Ivonne.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Monika. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I never dreamed that a girl who went to high school in Pinki, Latvia, would end up directing and producing films in Los Angeles. Film was not on my mind initially, instead, I was focused on photography, where I’d dress up in wigs, costume, and crazy make-up, then setting the camera on timer. At that time, I was too shy and vulnerable to ever publish them anywhere. Once I started undergrad, where I decided to move to Rome, Italy, I began photographing local models with similar unique concepts. That’s also the first time I experimented with film, which leads to my undergrad thesis: filming a short in Italian. I then decided it was time to shoot for the stars, and not be afraid to be myself, so I applied to film schools in Los Angeles. Today, I’m working on various projects simultaneously: my last short “Hotel Latvia” is circuiting in festivals, post-production on my current short “Oma”, producing a music video for a local LA band, and writing a feature script. With every project, my goal is to sprinkle a little bit of Latvia and diversity into it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Coming from a small town, I was not the most sociable person, I had a fear of communication. I was too afraid to ever ask questions or help when I needed it. Everyone kept saying, “the film industry is all about networking,” which scared me to death. I felt like I had to pretend to be someone else to communicate with others, to put on this mask of an overly-social person. It took about a year for me to realize that in the end, people can tell when you’re being yourself and when you’re not. I slowly learned to be myself, and surprisingly, I discovered that I had a sense of humor. It’s still a very vulnerable place to be, but at the same time, very rewarding.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My work as a director and producer are quite different. As a producer, my favorite store in the world is Office Depot, as I consider organizing and filing a fun hobby, surprisingly. I love attaching myself to projects I believe in and taking initiative to organize and plan every detail of pre-production. As a director, I’m heavily influenced by Federico Fellini, and creating eccentric characters is my specialty. I love featuring different cultures and languages to challenge my audience in an exciting way. I’d say I’m pretty international: born in Denmark, moved to Lithuania, started school in Russia, finished high school in Latvia, undergrad in Italy, and finally masters in Los Angeles. At this point, I can speak five languages, and my goal is to use this to spread the diversity in art.
What were you like growing up?
As a kid, I was constantly busy. It was always very hard to find me as I’d be working on random projects all over the place. I loved experimenting with new art, trying things like printmaking, installation, even making my own camera out of a shoe box. At the same time, I loved playing piano and would do so every day since the age of four. Growing up in over ten cities had its challenges, such as maintaining friends, but I learned how to keep myself busy and meet all kinds of people from around the world.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monikaivonne/
Image Credit:
Peteris Viksna
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