Meet Kris Rodemann

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Rodemann.

Hi Kris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for telling stories—and, more specifically, hoodwinking others into performing them—began as a good story itself: in 1980s Madrid, where a creative frenzy in the wake of Franco’s dictatorship was giving rise to Pedro Almodovar’s cinematic surrealism. My life had its own surrealist touches: my playground was littered with heroin syringes and condoms, my neighbors were fascist, and I was taught to report unattended backpacks because they might be terrorist bombs. This environment of extremes made for a colorful primordial soup that easily inspired homespun plays and musicals, and I often corralled my sisters and pets into performing. I’ve sought out ways to put on a show for others ever since—and whether it’s writing and singing silly songs for friends as birthday gifts or capturing compelling narratives in professional pursuits like journalism and filmmaking, my greatest gift is persuading others to go on a story-driven adventure with me. After working as a journalist and documentary producer in Barcelona, I came to LA in order to sharpen my storytelling skills. I completed an MFA in Film Directing at Chapman University last year.

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?
Last year, soon after I’d finished my MFA, my father was hospitalized. I flew home to Madrid to help out—and then the pandemic hit. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to weather the storm in a safe place, close to family, and that I’ve had a chance to reconnect with my city, but it’s hard to know what’s next (and where!). We’re all being forced to adapt, grieve, and grow in unexpected ways, and though someday soon we’ll look back and take stock of the things that did work out, transition moments are messy. The challenge is to believe that there is light amidst the darkness and to follow it.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’ve been working at the film finance platform Slated.com, which has afforded me valuable insight into how projects get off the ground and what makes for a great and marketable film. I supervise a team of script analysts and developed Slated’s analysis tool for scoring documentaries, which has been a rewarding project given my background in documentary filmmaking. The Slated team is full of visionary professionals and fabulous human beings. Since my dream is to direct, though, I am also currently working on several feature scripts and a musical, and work on set when I can. A fun, unforeseen gift from 2020 has been the opportunity to get back into singing, which I love. I’ve had the chance to perform with the Coro Gospel de Madrid, sing in a beer commercial, and perform (socially distant) Christmas songs in shopping centers.

What’s next?
I’m holding plans loosely at the moment—the film industry, like many, is relying on the vaccine to come out of hibernation—but I hope to submit several of my scripts to labs and competitions this year. In the meantime, I’ll stay focused on other aspects of film; I am currently watching my way through the films highlighted in Alicia Malone’s book “The Female Gaze” because I’m obsessed with expanding my knowledge of films directed by women from around the world. One of the powerful revelations of the pandemic has been just how much we need shared narratives to survive—narratives that include perspectives we may not have paid attention to before. And then: I’ll keep singing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @krisrodemann
• Email: [email protected]