Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah Correa.
Hi Deborah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m from Woodland, California. We moved around a lot when I was growing up and spent a few years in Medellín, Colombia, during the height of the narco wars. That time in my life shaped much of who I am today. (I gained a unique perspective on life.) I actually remember the day Escobar was killed. Our entire neighborhood came out on the streets to celebrate. At the time, it felt like an end to the extreme violence that had plagued the country, specifically Medellín. Car bombs, motorcycle drive-by’s, kidnapping, and gunfire were part of daily life. Normalizing that environment as a child forever changed me. I will never forget those years. Years later, I ended up shooting a documentary for my thesis project about the return of a village/community that had been displaced by the drug wars. I was returning too. A part of me is still there in the Colombian jungles.
I wanted to pursue film directing for as long as I can remember. My choices for school and college were always geared towards finding opportunities and access to start learning the craft. Directing a feature has been my dream for so long I don’t remember what life was like without it. After graduating Emerson College, I worked in documentary in Boston. Though interesting, I wanted to work in narrative film and moved to Los Angeles where I found a development job at a startup at Disney. Very soon after, I was accepted to the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and thought I had finally made it…or was going to, soon after. Though my short film sold to Hulu, I found it very hard to get a job or do further directing. It’s been such a long hard road, I’ve had to learn to enjoy the journey, look up, and live my life. After a while, I ended up finding some ground in freelance producing for docs and tv.
The most impactful docuseries I’ve worked on so far was the History Channel series, “The Warfighters”, which features first-person accounts from U.S. Special Operations Forces and their missions in the global war on terror. More than 90 veterans are featured in front of and behind the camera. I had the privilege of working with them on both seasons of the show. The cinematic recreations were a great opportunity for me to see how they put the action scenes together. It helped when I was shooting the Picacho Peak Civil War battle for “The War Between”. I learned a lot on that show and I’m really proud of being a part of that series.
It’s also led to further work with Veterans, and I’m producing a story that’s currently in development about a 21-year-old Army Ranger who was killed in battle on his third tour in Afghanistan. He was an organ donor, and not only did he save his sniper team, he saved four more lives with his kidneys, liver, and heart. His heart is still beating to this day. It’s the true story of Corporal Benjamin Kopp.
I’m working with Ben’s mother Jill Stephenson and Ranger veteran and screenwriter Scott Gilbertson, on producing the story into a film.
To be honest, I feel like my story is just starting. Getting to finally direct my first feature film has been such a high, I’m already planning my next one. I’m still pinching myself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenges for me have been navigating the industry, mostly people dynamics and my own fear and self-doubt. I’ve had so many false starts and disappointing collaborations, but I’ve learned so much from each experience. Each project, job or disappointment has given me something useful to work with. Honestly, I think a lot of my perseverance and resilience come from those years in Colombia, and growing up with a Colombian immigrant father and an American-born mother; I had a foot in each culture. That came along with all the identity issues, it still does, and feeling like I never fully belonged to either or fit in anywhere, but it made me appreciate how it made me unique and different. And able to recognize that in others. I’m so proud of that now. What made me weird in high school is what I take pride in now.
It has never been easy or smooth. The self-doubt is the worst. I was never that person that could “fake it till they make it”, I wear my heart on my sleeve and am transparent to a fault. There’s a part of me that’s proud of that vulnerability, but not everyone can understand or accept it so I’ve learned where, when, and with whom I can be that way. I also understand myself more now and have honed it so well that my vulnerability has become my superpower.
Also, becoming a mom and starting a family while pursuing my directing dreams has been very challenging. Though motherhood has pushed me to my limits, it’s also expanded my capacity for compassion, to get through the hard stuff, work through the painful emotions and dark nights-of-the-soul, to understand that most of life comes at us in phases that are constantly changing as we grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I just directed my first feature film! Dream. Come. True. We shot “The War Between” on location in Arizona in April. We were the first feature film to qualify for the new Arizona state tax incentive. It was a truly independent film in every sense of the word. My friend and collaborator Ron Yungul wrote, and EP’d the film. He had this story in his heart for a while and when he first told me about it, I knew we could make it happen. It was so amazing with how the stars aligned for this one. Film Tucson was great to work with and they were so supportive and helped with our initial location scout. Our casting director, Bella Hibbs from Good Faith Casting, found the most amazing actors; Damian Conrad-Davis, Sam Bullington, and Wayne Charles Baker, just for starters. I worked with Essa O’Shea on a previous short film and knew she would be perfect for the role of Charlotte.
I could go on and on about the actors and our crew. The local Tucson/Phoenix crew were exceptional. We worked closely with crew from Monsoon Production Services and producer Lenny Mesi, along with Associate Producer/2nd AD Tamara McDaniels and 1st AD Rusty Case from Phoenix Independent Filmmakers Group. We shot most of the film outside in the desert, and everyone stayed so committed. I’m so happy with how the film is coming together. We’re very close to finishing for the festival circuit next year.
“The War Between” is about two soldiers from opposing sides of the American Civil War who must cooperate in order to survive the Arizona desert. The premise is based on the western-most battle of the Civil War that took place at Picacho Peak in April of 1862. We shot the battle scenes at Picacho Peak and made sure we were filming in April so the desert had the same climate and look. The desert blooms in April and it was such a beautiful site to capture on camera. We also shot at Mescal Studios and Old Tucson. Being able to shoot in places that saw the likes of John Huston, Howard Hawkes, John Wayne, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood was truly humbling. I also got to work with my long-time cinematographer, collaborator, and friend, Evan Jake Cohen, who I met at Emerson College. We were in the same intro Film I class. Evan has shot all of my short films, and I know how great he is, but he really blew me and all of us away with his work on this film. The cinematography is gorgeous and pure cinema.
We had the privilege of working with an Apache and Navajo consultant on shaping our Apache character and helping with the language. Luke Hunt, our Navajo consultant, was actually our boom operator on the film! He helped shape our Navajo scenes to make sure they were authentic and accurate and helped us find up-and-coming actors from the local community. I’m so grateful and happy with how it all came together. I was able to use all that I’ve learned and channel it into my work. It’s been life-affirming and so satisfying.
Keep an eye out, “The War Between” will be coming to a festival near you in 2024!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Film is the most collaborative art form. My best advice is to find your collaborators and do the work. Sometimes finding the right people takes time but don’t give up. What has really changed my world is finding the right people to work with who believe in me. It’s made all the difference. And they are out there for you too. Ron and I are already developing our next film, it’s a WWII story you’ve never heard before!
Learn early on to say no to what feels off or wrong, keep your energy and space open for what’s in alignment for you, not what other people think is right for you.
Another thing is to not look to any one person for your success. Your success will come from inside of you. The stories you’re meant to tell will always be there; they’ll find you. A little more trust and less forcing has been my saving grace. Everything has taken way more time than I thought. That’s been my journey, so I don’t let my happiness or identity get wrapped up in what I do or don’t do or compare myself to anyone else. That has been super important for me to remember. Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”… and your power too. I add that little bit because your joy is the source of your power. It also helps me to remember that what I’m seeking is seeking me. We have our dreams in our DNA for a reason, and it’s meant to be expressed in our lifetime.
Your soul is here for a purpose that’s unique to you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2740247/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deb_directs/
Image Credits
(Photos by Chris Scott for Film Tucson and The War Between LLC)
(Screengrabs are from the War Between film shot by Evan Jake Cohen)
