Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Vanden Broeck.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I don’t think I can start with the classic “ever since I was kid I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker” line, because it’s actually not true. As a matter of fact I wanted to be a veterinarian because I was obsessed with animals, as almost every child is. Then, when I was a teenager, I changed my mind and wanted to be a psychologist since I was so intrigued by my friend’s lives, relationships and all sorts of emotions we go through when we’re young. And finally, as I grew older and realized things started happening to me, I changed my mind one last time. I wanted to be a filmmaker.
The first major event in my short adolescent life was moving away from my small hometown in Mexico to the big city due to my father’s job. I was fourteen and I was afraid. Afraid to leave my friends, afraid to not fit in, afraid of change. And all these fears turned out to be a reality. I missed my friends, I didn’t fit in right away and I thought I needed to change who I was for people to like me. I remember telling my parents that I would leave the city and go back to my hometown when I turned eighteen. My parents couldn’t understand why I was so homesick, they probably just thought I was going through the typical hormonal phase of a teenager. Of course years passed, I turned eighteen, and by that time I didn’t feel the need to leave the city anymore. I’d found some friends that accepted me for who I was, I started falling for boys and, eventually, I fell in love with the city as well.
After graduating high school and going through every type of heartbreak – family, friend, love and my own-self heartbreak – I discovered watching films made me not only feel less crazy, but feel understood. As if my feelings were validated by the simple fact of knowing that there is someone behind the character that shares a similar experience to the one I’ve had. And I somehow felt less alone. I was amazed by the possibility of sharing our struggles to create empathy and connect with others, as we try to answer questions and understand ourselves.
So I decided to study Communications with a minor in Film at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City that by then, already felt like home. I got my Bachelor’s degree and a couple of my peers and I founded an independent production company as soon as we graduated. With 6pm Films I had the opportunity to direct commercials and short films for the next six years. We won a Best Commercial Award at the Pantalla de Cristal Film Festival and Best Short Film Award at the Ecofilm Festival. After that, I moved to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute. I recently completed the Conservatory’s MFA Directing program with my thesis film “Elle”, which is soon starting its festival circuit.
Has it been a smooth road?
Filmmaking is never a smooth road, but in my opinion that is what makes it such an interesting profession. I think being a filmmaker is a luxury, definitely not an economical one or at least not for a lot of us, yet I believe it is a privilege to get to build entire worlds in order to speak about things that matter to the human experience as a way of living. But of course that to be able to create those worlds and narratives, an incredible amount of resources is needed as well as a big team of talented collaborators who believe in the project. So there is always a lot at stake in making films, but in the end it is also always worth it when you realize the audience felt something and perhaps understood the world they live in a little bit better.
Additionally, as most of us know nowadays, female filmmakers have been fighting to have equal rights in the industry. To be hired fairly, treated fairly, paid fairly. That has been and continues to be a big struggle. This profession also requires investing a considerable amount of time. Most of us have sacrificed time with family, friends and loved ones in order to dedicate ourselves to build a career telling stories. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that there is no right or wrong decision within our set of priorities as long as we choose whatever it is that makes us feel awake and fulfilled.
And lastly, I’ve discovered that sometimes our biggest battle can be with our own selves. I think the human being’s constant condition of dissatisfaction can be used in our advantage as storytellers, as long as we are not too harsh on ourselves. In every project there will be ever-present obstacles, and it is crucial for filmmakers to be able to find the way to not only solve them but learn from them, striving to be a better storyteller and team member every day.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m interested in exploring intimate relationship dynamics through characters dealing with identity conflicts, from sexual orientation and religion, to race and social class. I gravitate towards the drama genre and I’m driven to tell stories that exist along boundary lines, challenging us to find the humanity in them. Small but sincere truths that involve people dealing with misunderstandings, loss of innocence, and the journey of awareness and self-discovery.
I’m currently in the development process of my first feature film. It is a love triangle story in the context of the recent feminist movement in Mexico City. I’m developing the script with the support of a talented group of filmmakers and we are hoping to be able to start preproduction in the next couple of years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicolevandenbroeck.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/nicole.vb.13
Image Credit:
Guido Raimondo, Elizabeth Petersen, Teck Siang Lim
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