Conversations with Aylya Marzolf

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aylya Marzolf.

Hi Aylya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to LA many many years ago to act, sing, dance, just to be an entertainer in general. I’d always been a creative person, just not with paints and brushes or any other medium really. I worked in so many restaurants, just trying to survive in this city. And eventually, my acting and modeling career started. It’s been about 8 years since my last restaurant job and I’m so grateful to be able to make a living in this industry. But honestly, it wasn’t enough for me. Being an actor or model, you are the last piece of the puzzle, and at the end of the day, you are there to serve the vision of the people that hired you. Which can be an amazing experience and quite fulfilling, but ultimately it’s a lot of waiting to chosen. From years of being on set, working with different directors, seeing how they work, I felt this pull to direct. For a few years, it seemed like too big of a dream and fear held me back from doing anything about it. And then one day, I just decided, screw fear. And I started my directing journey. I started small. Little projects shot on my iPhone. And a month ago, I shot my first short film with the most amazing crew of professional filmmakers.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road. This industry is chock full of ups and downs. Becoming a single mother in 2016 didn’t help either. Film making in general is stressful, and there are so many moving parts, so much to be done, and never enough time. Figuring out how to balance the career and home life was pretty difficult. Making Sure I was present for my son and partner was a huge challenge, but I do believe that my biggest obstacle or struggle was my own fear. My own fear of failure, fear of looking like an idiot, fear that what I wanted to do just wasn’t possible, and imposter syndrome like crazy. It took me a few years to conquer it. And using the word conquer is an overstatement. I still am terrified and doubt myself going into every project. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the courage to keep going in spite of it… or something like that right? Aside from that, indie filmmaking is hard and stressful but so damn exhilarating. I’d say that the bad habit of being an overthinker actually has helped me quite a lot. It helped me to be extremely prepared, organized, and thinking about what problems could arise and how to be ready for them. I also was so blessed to have an amazingly talented and professional crew. Having a supportive partner was also a huge help. He and my son came and helped out on set. That combination made for a very very smooth shoot.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’d say at this point in my career, I’m still figuring out what I specialize in. The main comment I’ve gotten about my projects are that people “felt something,” a tug at their humanity, a perspective shift, seeing things in a different way than they had before. I strive to tell stories from a different view or perspective than the norm. Not sure I’ll always be able to accomplish that, but it’s the goal. And I don’t really know what I’m known for per se. My freckles? Jokes aside, as a director, my ambition for “what am I known for” is similar to my goals as a human being. I hope to be a director that people enjoy working with that they feel appreciated, thought of, included. I really try to be mindful of each and every person on set, the importance of every department and to be aware of their struggles so we can all work together to produce the best work possible. I just want to be a good human being. I’m so incredibly proud of the short film I just shot about a month ago. The Sadness in Freedom. It touches on the subject of domestic violence, abuse, loss, and conflicting, complicated feelings. Once it’s done with the editing process, we’ll be submitting it to festivals.

What does success mean to you?
Success to me is setting a goal and then doing it. For me, those goals are to have a home for my family, to set a good example for my son, to eat well, travel some, be happy, work in a garden, to love, to be constantly learning new things, to laugh, to express myself creatively, and to be able to afford all of that without a soul-sucking job. I am so grateful to have hit most of those milestones on a regular basis. I feel like success to me is like steps. I set a goal, I get there, and then I set the next one. I succeed on a regular basis, but I don’t think I’ll ever be done setting new goals and taking new steps in life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshfreckles/

Image Credits
Dirk Mai