Art & Life with Susana Dueñas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susana Dueñas.

Susana, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m a Mexican-American filmmaker, born, raised, and based in the South Bay. When I was growing up, art was more of a hobby than a serious pursuit. My parents are both in the medical field, so I grew up thinking that my calling was also to have a career in medicine. They were very supportive of my interests, however, and also introduced me to dance, music, theatre, and photography. As a family, we visited art museums, attended operas and musical concerts, and traveled a lot. My parents felt it was important to expose my sisters and I to different ideas and perspectives. My dad, who enjoyed photography and videography as a hobby himself, was really the one who ignited my passion for the art. He would lend me his camera and encourage me to take pictures of our family outings or gatherings. Similarly, he taught me to love movies. Every Friday night, my dad would come home with a new release from the Hollywood Video store down the street. I grew up watching films from almost every genre you can think of: action, comedy, drama, foreign language films, you name it. My parents might not have known it at the time, but by exposing me to the arts at a young age, they were preparing me for my journey as a visual artist.

Despite this growing passion for the cinematic arts, I kept telling myself that I was going to enter the medical field as a behavioral neurologist. For me, medicine was the secure path, and everything else was secondary. I was nearly a senior in high school when I played with the idea of pursuing filmmaking. It took Divine Intervention (literally) to help me realize that medicine wasn’t my path. As a woman of Faith, I should have realized that God had been placing clues before me, but I kept turning my head away. When I finally took the time to introspect and listen, the message was very clear: my path was to become a filmmaker, and it is one that I have not regretted since. I went on to attend film school where I majored in film directing, and was the first student at my university to write, direct, and produce a foreign language senior project. My senior thesis, La Oportunidad, had its world premiere at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival and went on the screen at the Latinas in Film Night (hosted by HPIFF).

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art consists of two aspects: filmmaking and photography. My focus and niche, however, lies in telling the story of the common man, and of the people who don’t usually have stories written about them. I am completely taken by the beauty of everyday life. It fascinates me. I believe there is so much to unpack in the details of the “ordinary.” What others consider mundane, I consider essential. To some, those details can be life itself. My short film, La Oportunidad, is the best example I have of this. La Oportunidad follows a Mexican mail carrier who struggles to accept her daughter’s wishes to attend a four-year university. The story was directly inspired by my own aunt who is a mail carrier. In fact, many of my scripts and ideas for films come from stories my relatives share with me about their own lives, or from the brief glimpses I get of different people I pass on the street.

Incorporating the ideas of truth, suffering, and redemption within the realm of everyday life can seem like a challenge, especially since overemphasizing one message can come across as excessively overt, or preachy. I firmly believe, however, that there is a balance when integrating these into my art. Throughout history, the best films and photographs have time and time again acted as parables of human brokenness, and what we do to overcome it. This truth is not bound to one set of people; it transcends all cultural and religious differences. This brings me to the epitome of why I create.

With every film, I write, and with every picture I take, I want to highlight the joys, the struggles, and truth of our humanity. I want people to look at these pieces and leave knowing that I am giving them nothing but the beauty of real life. Even further than that, I want my art to act as a voice for those who feel like they don’t have one. If I can help at least one person realize that they aren’t alone, whatever their story may be, that would be my greatest success.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
My biggest piece of advice would be to remain humble, and patient with yourself. It takes a huge amount of vulnerability to step out of your safe zone and bring others on your journey as an artist. Believe me, when I say, it’s worth it. Find a local community of artists in your field, and share your work with them. The internet is an amazing tool to showcase your talents and skills to people all over the world and make new friends. Share your art with the people you have in your life already. Be open to their thoughts, even if they don’t fully understand what you are trying to convey through your works. Pushing people away can be easy and seemingly painless, but as humans, we intrinsically need community. As artists, we need the voices of others to help inspire and push us to create the best pieces we can. I’m so blessed to have an incredible support system consisting of friends and family to help me through moments of “defeat” in both my art and in life. There are always going to be instances when I feel completely desolate of support and community. Often, this loneliness comes from the frustration of creative block, my own insecurity of comparison to the success of others, and the fear that, as an artist, I have nothing unique to offer. Ultimately, what’s helped me is to remain grateful for the people I have in my life, and love them just as they are. Not everyone is going to understand you, or your art, but if they’re there standing by you and cheering you on, that sure is something to be grateful for.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My website showcases all of my work ranging from my filmmaking to my photography. I’m also on Vimeo and Instagram. I’m currently in the process of starting a few new projects, so if you’re interested in keeping up to date with my progress or connecting, send me a message via any of my social channels. I love meeting new people, and making new friends!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://susieeduenas.wixsite.com/digitalresume
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miraleste
• Other: https://vimeo.com/susanaduenas

Image Credit:
Zac Connelly

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