Meet Jasmin Barragan of Riverside, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Barragan

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Since I was 7, I knew I wanted to do something that involved performing. Whether it was singing, dancing, or acting, I wanted to do it all. I quickly realized I wasn’t much of a singer nor a dancer, but acting was something more up my alley. My mom introduced me to all the classic late 90s, early 2000s movies that influenced my want to create and be on screen. The Craft being a huge part in who I am today.

For as long as I could remember, I would come up with different scenarios and act them out in my room where no one could see me. I even turned my stuffed animals around, out of embarrassment. Every book, show, song, or movie I consumed, I would create a side story with my own character in it, acting it out for an imaginary crowd. It was pretty dramatic and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still do that. From behind my door, I am always performing something for the audience in my head.

When I got to high school, I took a theater class and got my first taste at performing for real people. I was the lead zombie in a play. It was exciting, but something was missing. Once I got to my junior year, I joined a film production class at Ramona High School. From 2015-2017, I worked on school announcements, web series, and growing my production knowledge. It was there I truly felt at home in front and behind the camera.

After graduation, I studied Psychology at Riverside Community College. During my second year there I took an acting for the camera class and met some of my best friends in the film program that I still work with to this day. In 2021, I graduated First Generation with a BA of Arts in Psychology from CSUSB! Then in 2022, I returned to RCC to join the film program and wrote/directed/acted in my very first film, Strawdoll. From then on I’ve been connecting with artists in the Inland Empire and collaborating on new projects!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth, but there has been many moments of joy to appreciate and every struggle has only served me to become who I am today. At times, I think I’m still playing a character to the audience in my head, and I’m not actually putting something of value out, but everything I share is a piece of me to you. Whether it resonates or not, vulnerability is a gift that I value. I’ll have moments of blankness and think I can’t be an artist if I’m not constantly creating, but that’s not true. I try to remind myself that even in rest, we are all artists.

Access to equipment is rather difficult when you can’t afford to spend on all the gear needed. Even renting can get expensive, so it is pretty hard to get kits together outside of being in the college film program. The majority of the films I’ve worked on involved much of the I.E. film community bringing what we have and getting creative! We find ways to make do with what’s accessible, and that’s what I think makes our work so authentic.

On top of that the film industry is harsh on women and femmes, and that goes for in the local scene too. It’s difficult to be taken seriously as an artist in a male dominated area. You have to deal with unwanted advances and questioning of your work/knowledge/place. It’s frustrating and a never ending battle, no matter where you are. What’s helped is the support of local female/femme filmmakers in the I.E. that create a space of acceptance, appreciation, and love for what we strive to make.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the start of my career, I mainly focused on acting, but have branched out over the years! On top of being an actress, I am also a writer, director, and producer. I’ve focused more on curating my own films that revolve around my two fears: death and vulnerability. Each character I come up with is a (sometimes) dramatized version of me and people I have encountered that need a little screen time before they meet their end, so to say. It’s hard to explain without spoiling my films, but I am rather known as someone who ends men on screen, leading them to their own demise. It’s a cathartic way for me to put painful memories to rest, while letting my younger self know she’s safe now.

There are two films I have created with the help of my friends that hold a special place in my heart. Lovesick: A Letter to You being the first that I felt proud of in all aspects. It is one of the most vulnerable films I’ve done so far about a relationship that never was. Fruta de Amor is another I’m rather proud of, reason being is it is the only happy one I’ve written that ended up being a birthday gift for my dad. The unspoken words of love through the sharing of oranges. Both of these films wouldn’t have been possible without my lovely friends that supported me every step of they way. I owe it all to them.

Every single one of my works is brought to life with the help of my best friend and assistant director, Andrea Gomez! If it wasn’t for her, I would not be the artist I am today.

How do you think about luck?
I’d say luck has supported me in a non-traditional sense. I am incredibly lucky to exist, to explore freely, to be loved by every person I hold dear and then some. When things don’t happen to go the way I would want them to, I try to view it as the universe telling me there’s something more. What is for me will be for me. At least that’s what I was telling myself when I landed a job at a local coffee shop! Little wins are important and even in the face of bad luck, a good thing can come about it. Had I been accepted into UCR straight out of high school, I would not have met the people I adore, completed my program faster than planned, or delved into my art. All I can do now with the luck I am given is ensure I give back to my community who deserve it too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://interesting1rl.carrd.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interesting1rl/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@interesting1rl

Image Credits
Lilly Rosen, Diego Olivarez, Mario Rojas, Cameron Hinojos, Christian Deleon