Life & Work with Ericka De Alexander of Hollywood

Hi Ericka, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for storytelling– since I was kid living in Cuernavaca (Mexico). I would act and direct these home-made short films with my cousins and friends, and find any excuse to turn any school assignment into a film. A book review? I would see an opportunity to make a little short film about the book. A short essay about something? Let me please make a commercial or review video instead. I’m pretty sure it was in 2005 (or maybe 2007) when I was given my very first camera– a JVC MiniDV that I would take everywhere and I would film everything with it. I was so fascinated by it. Without knowing it then, this Christmas present would be the window for me to be introduced to a whole new world of art and endless possibilities– and the beginning of me pursuing a career as an actor and filmmaker.

Thinking about it now, I think it also came during a great time (lowkey my parents’ divorce), because I was very lucky to have an outlet to explore my feelings and emotions during that event (and others) that were very difficult to navigate emotionally. I think for some time and because of these rough experiences I had as a kid, I became a bit scared to express myself and scared of being perceived. It was not something I was aware of, so it was quite confusing, you know? To want to be something but something inside you pushes you towards the opposite direction. I struggled with that for such a long time, but the one thing I always had with me was my video camera. Now that I reflect on it, I think directing has always been an extension of myself in terms of expression. To express myself through a camera has always felt like an effortless thought and a salvation. Directing is one of the most challenging things I have ever pursued and attempted. It always feels like it is the first time and like I’ve done it a million times. It makes me feel excited and terrified; but oh so very much alive. Even though directing has always felt like something so essential for me to have in my life, the actual act of it and the “figuring out how to do it in a way that makes sense” has probably been one of the most challenging things I have ever pursued.

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?
After I moved to the U.S., I remember talking with my parents about pursuing filmmaking and acting as a career when I started taking my first community college classes. I’m going to be so honest– trying to pursue a creative path and a career in arts while being a first generation immigrant in a country with a different language, is really hard. I remember my parents supported me pursuing filmmaking as a whole, but not acting because it seemed a bit riskier for them at the time. I was the first person in my family to pursue a career in the arts, so I can understand why they would support one and not the other a bit. I was very lucky to attend USC and study TV and Film Production there. That’s where I was first introduced to formal filmmaking (all I had before was me making YouTube videos in my apartment). I remember the thing I wanted to learn the most was to figure out my voice and style. Which now that I think about it, it’s so funny because I did not learn that in college at all– only by doing it many times and making so many mistakes after graduating and making films with my rent money, is that I discovered the visual language that makes sense to me. That I discovered how I– Eri– see the world. Only by living and loving and grieving is that I discovered some of the themes that really do touch my heart and now I see them in what I write and direct. And now that I know who I am and don’t feel afraid to be seen for who I am, I can be my genuine self in front and behind the camera. Although insecurity comes at times, making me second guess my instincts and confidence, I try to get to busy in the love and excitement I get from what I make to distract myself from allowing the second guessing to be more than an echoing whisper. Most times it works– still a bit of a work in progress, to be honest (oops). But if I can share a piece of advice that has helped me with this is that– we can really be our biggest critics, but if we take a step back and see ourselves how we see everyone else around us, and we can root for that person, everything suddenly feels lighter. We really are so lucky to be alive, and we’re presented with 2 opportunities at every single moment: to live or survive. Once we see this and say “you know what? I want to live”, giving yourself the opportunity to do will do wonders for your dreams.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an actor, director, writer, producer. I have directed narrative short films, documentaries, web series, and music videos. I’m also a Directing member of the Alliance of Women Directors, and won a Bronze Telly this year alongside my team for our work on the short documentary “The Cleaning Lady”, which I directed, shot, and edited. I am now in pre-preproduction to direct, produce, and star in my first feature film, “THE HOLLOW”, which is a magical realism drama about the supernatural relationship between a woman and a Spirit stuck in the afterlife (inspired by my tía Sara who has transcended). Our film is fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, and I am genuinely SO EXCITED to make this film with the amazing team of creatives I’ve been making films with and growing with for the last few years. This project is the closest one to my heart– it started as journal entries from therapy, so I’m super excited to bring them to life in story.

I think something that sets me apart is that I want to be known. I want to take my mask off and show who I am, what I care about; what I love and what I grief. To be honest, it almost has felt like every year since the pandemic started I have experienced a different side of grief. I honestly think I didn’t understand how visceral grief was before the pandemic. I must admit I am so lucky that my favorite book is “The Little Prince”, because I may not know how to explain this right now, but there is something in pursuing love from the naive place of innocence that makes it make sense that grief and love belong together and can co-exist. And I think the more I acknowledge and respect that, I realize how love always weights a little bit heavier than the grief. At this point, I embrace this philosophy, and I feel like it feels so unique to me to express myself from this place. The more I know myself, the more I want to express myself now; and the more I want to share through my art. And luckily for me (and all of us with what we do)– the more we do what we do, the better we’ll become. Hmm… it also helps that I am terribly hopeful human.

What’s next?
I am working on my first feature film, “THE HOLLOW”, which is scheduled for production in February of 2027. It’s a magical realism drama that follows René as she navigates the loss of her favorite person and crosses paths with a supernatural creature stuck in the limbo between life and death, who forces her to learn how to let go. I am working with an amazing team here in the U.S. and in Mexico to bring this movie to life. It has been a long and rough emotional journey but things are aligning and I cannot wait to begin my directing and acting work on this ópera prima of mine! I am currently doing some rewrites as I am also working on the casting and budget breakdowns with my producing partner, Marian Zúñiga.

My website https://erickadealexander.com/the-hollow/ has a tab with information about our movie and a link to our fiscal sponsorship with Film Independent (if you’d like to support us, I would be sooooo grateful). We are making this feature film for $20,000, and I am documenting the journey and behind-the-scenes process on my TikTok @erickadealexander.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.erickadealexander.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erickadealexander/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickadealexander
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ErickadeAlexanderOfficial
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@erickadealexander