Meet Sofia Forero Matheus of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Forero Matheus

Hi Sofia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Sofia Forero Matheus, I go by Sofie Matheus. I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved to Chicago in 2021 to attend Columbia College Chicago as a film and television student. I found a passion for filmmaking during my third year of Medical School back in Colombia. Unlike being in classes at a hospital, the creative filmmaking process I experienced during extracurricular classes inspired and challenged me uniquely. Thus, I decided to take a new direction in my life.
I decided to leave medical school to enter the world of cinema and, more specifically, to dedicate myself to cinematography starting in 2020.

I knew that if I wanted to go to film school, it would be in the United States, so I struggled to find a good college where I could learn from active professionals in the industry. I was also looking for a place that would help me get good network connections after graduation.
The year 2020 arrived, and what none of us expected to happen happened: a pandemic.
My plans to travel to Chicago were delayed a year, and between not being able to work and getting all the necessary documents, I thought it would be very difficult or almost impossible for me to travel.
Then, in September 2021, after doing an online semester, I got everything I needed to travel to Chicago once and for all and attend Columbia College Chicago, where I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Film and Television with a concentration in Cinematography.

Since September 2021, my life has not been the same. I mentally opened horizons that I did not expect to find before; I have met people from all over the world and different cultures and made friends from all over the world, and my knowledge about cinema, both in theory and in practice, increased immensely.
Thus, my skills in cinematography increased, becoming my specialty and what I will dedicate the rest of my life to.
I did my last semester of college in Los Angeles as part of the program Semester in LA that Columbia College Chicago offers. It opened many network and personal doors for me, so much so that I moved to this beautiful and incredible city. My last semester of school in Los Angeles allowed me to expand my network group and meet excellent, professional, creative, and amazing people to work with.

During this period, I also had the opportunity to intern at BeCine, a woman owned and operated boutique camera rental house located in Culver City. This place undoubtedly helped me learn and work with the best people I know in this city.
In May, I proudly graduated from Columbia College Chicago and embarked on a new chapter as a freelancer in a camera crew, serving as a second AC and camera utility. While fulfilling this roles are, this is just the beginning of my professional journey. My ultimate aspiration is to become a full time cinematographer and camera operator, a goal that I am determined to achieve within the esteemed Local 600 union.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life is not a smooth ride at all. Its unpredictable and challenging nature is what makes it so unique and valuable. For example, as a teenager, I never imagined moving to a new place and discovering my true identity, my true self (my sexual orientation, likes, dislikes, dreams, fantasies, talents, skills, etc.) while working as a filmmaker in Los Angeles, next to the most talented and creative people I could ever know. Instead, I thought I would still be in Colombia, working as a doctor, suppressing my true identity because of a lack of intellectual freedom and confidence to show who I really am.

The first struggle I encountered was the pandemic, which literally everyone in the world had to deal with. In 2020, I had plans to start my studies at Columbia College Chicago. Still, because geographical borders were closed, I had to postpone all those plans until the spring of 2021 by doing the first semester online, and then I managed to move to Chicago in September of 2021.
Because it was global, this setback made my life feel on standby for a few months. It helped me focus on myself as a woman, know which path to follow professionally and know what lifestyle I wanted to follow once the pandemic was over.

Another struggle I still deal with is living in a country different from mine because of how far away my family and my childhood friends are. Thanks to today’s technology, I can communicate with them every day. However, it is still a daily struggle not to be close to my family, especially missing important dates, such as celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, or simply family meetings on Sunday afternoons. Having those memories in my mind and saving them as videos on my cell phone without knowing when I will be able to experience them again is the most challenging part for me. Yes, it is a struggle, but at the end of the day, it is the decision I made to come to Los Angeles and follow my path as a filmmaker, and I am enjoying every moment of it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Filmmaker; more precisely, I am a Cinematographer. I seek to share authentic and fictional stories through motion pictures. I work hand in hand with directors, screenwriters, production designers, and more to translate words into storytelling images. To do so, I count on the help of the camera and lighting crew, who work hard during production days to do the final project properly. I aspire to be a full-time cinematographer as I continue building my portfolio and connections to reach that level. Currently, I work as a freelancer in union and non-union sets as a second assistant camera and camera utility.
My determination and persistence to follow my dreams and aspirations separate me from others. Without my dedication, I wouldn’t be here with you, telling you my story. Also, I care. I care about the stories I share, I care about creatives and their hard work, and I care about the people I work with.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
First thing people gasp about when I tell them a fun fact about me is that I speak 3 languages, Spanish, English and Italian, and that I am learning French.
I love ballet; I am a great ballet dancer. When I was younger, I considered going to Italy for a while to pursue a dance career and teach ballet. I have been practicing ballet since I was five and love it deeply. Not many who know me know this.
I love to sing, but I am super shy about singing in front of people. I am also very good at sports and physical activity. Sadly, sometimes, because of my size and because I am a woman, people think I am fragile or not strong enough.
Intellectually, I am very empathetic. I deeply understand the emotions, feelings, necessities, and problems of others. This is why I love movies so much. I understand the characters very personally, even if their situation is nothing like mine. I have an excellent ability to empathize with others. At the same time, I am curious about people’s stories and life itself and attentive to what surrounds me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @sofiafm3
• Other: https://linktr.ee/sofia.fm

Image Credits
1.picture of me with the camera: Silas Elias
2.Me sitting in the dolly: Blake Huang
3.Man and woman holding umbrellas : Director: Chané Fisher, Screenplay:Maggie Shannon & Amy Monti, Director of Photography: Sofie Matheus(Sofia Forero Matheus)
4.Man sitting on the couch: Director and Screenplay :Josiah Holroyd, Director of Photography: Sofie Matheus(Sofia Forero Matheus)