Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicola Rose.
Hi Nicola, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got started as an independent filmmaker in 2015 when I made a web series about an evil puppet. From there I got into more serious filmmaking, but the goal still was (and still is) never to take myself seriously. I made four more short films, comedies and dramas, that got notice on the festival circuit. Then in 2021 I directed and wrote my first feature film, “Goodbye, Petrushka,” which world premiered at Dances With Films at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi and other platforms. It’s the story of a young American girl who falls in love, goes to Paris and has a bunch of coming-of-age adventures there. It’s been called “deeply silly” and “not-Emily in Paris” both of which I’d say are accurate.
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?
There is no such thing as a smooth road when you’re creating your own career from scratch. There is no road map to what I’m doing, nor any pre-existing milestones, or a clear vision of what success will look like. My only goal has ever been to make each of my projects better than the last. That’s the eternal struggle because I always think I am royally screwing up. Of course, I’m probably being hard on myself — I‘m probably only royally screwing up 65% of the time. Either way, I’ve been lucky since day one to be surrounded by supportive family, friends and work partners, who mostly don’t sigh heavily when they hear me on the phone.
Other challenges: I‘ve also been on the receiving end of a heavy amount of condescension, not that that’s the end of the world. It’s just frustrating. I think a lot of people, especially women, deal with it. So I would like to go on the record here as saying if you condescend to people, it doesn’t make you a big person. It makes you a bad person.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make films about people (usually kids, though not always) who are struggling to make sense of themselves and the world around them — something I’ve never quite managed for myself. I think my characters will make sense of it all before I do.
I am most proud of my feature film, “Goodbye, Petrushka,” which my producing partner Tierney Boorboor and I managed to make — and make well — under incredibly restrictive conditions. (All small-budget independent films are made under restrictive conditions. Of course, this also forces you to be more creative. But we’d all rather be creative without restrictions.)
What sets me apart from others is that my work always comes out kind of comedic even when the situation is dramatic. I don’t think it’s intentional — I think I legitimately can’t help it. And, of course, reactions to that will always be mixed; some audiences will eat it up, others will helpfully point out that your work is tonally inconsistent. Which is fine with me. If you ask me, life is tonally inconsistent.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There are a lot of worthy creators out there who haven’t yet gotten their big break. They haven’t been heard yet because they don’t have the right connections — no friends in high places, no stars attached to their projects. But their work deserves to be seen and heard all the same. I sincerely hope we’re moving toward an entertainment industry that’s more equitable, more open to those without traditional connections. There are people on social media right now making incredible content with just a phone and a head full of good ideas (this would be my friend and colleague Steven He among others; that’s how he started out and his work took off). People doing this could not have become famous 10 or 20 years ago; some gatekeeper would have stood in the way. So this is really promising, as far as I’m concerned. I want people to be able to get past the gatekeepers. I don’t like gatekeepers. What I like is seeing talented people succeed.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.
nicolarosedirects.com - Instagram: http://www.
instagram.com/ goodbyepetrushkafilm - Facebook: http://www.facebook.
com/goodbyepetrushkafilm - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=m3WCB-nkAp8&t= 1730s ; https://youtu.be/m3WCB-nkAp8
Image Credits
Photo of Nicola Rose by Kisha Peart Goodbye, Petrushka poster designed by Haley Turnbull Photo of Nicola Rose and Goodbye, Petrushka team on the Dances With Films red carpet by Courtney LeMay Birnbaum
