I had the opportunity to chat with emerging filmmaker Brenda Salazar over Zoom on what she is currently working on, her go-to movie diet, cinema favorites, and somehow getting stuck in a rabbit hole of Laguna Beach and The Hills.
What’s the most recent film you have seen?
Brenda: Really the last one that I’ve seen in theaters is Bardo, which is the new Iñárritu film on Netflix. I got to see it in theaters so that was really fun. I’ve seen some movies but nothing. It’s more like just watching something, I guess. Like, I watched this movie that I hadn’t seen with Jennifer Aniston. It’s called Then Came Polly or something like that?
Screengrab of Netflix film Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Julie: Oh, with Ben Stiller?
Brenda: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That one. I saw it. I liked it! It was good. I enjoyed it. It was definitely a good watch. But yeah, I guess whenever I’m like trying to see something, I definitely go to a romcom. And I’m very, like, critical of romcoms, to be honest. Like, I like them, but then there’s just I don’t know. There’s always like a cheesy factor to it that I’m like nope, not for me. One of them I think is like that is Letters to Juliet. I’m like oh, I love Shakespeare. I love the story of Romeo and Juliet. I want to go and see it. I don’t think I got to like half of it. I was like, done. And then that’s one of the few wrong romcoms that I’m like, let me just cut it here. So I’m not saying it is bad. Maybe it is good for some people, but it wasn’t for me. So definitely I do like to watch romcoms. And that one, I just saw it like this weekend. And I’ve been binge-watching Laguna Beach and the Hills.
Credit: MTV
Because I’ve never seen them. I did not grow up on MTV or anything, unfortunately. I didn’t have cable, so whatever. Poor me. Boo-hoo. But yeah, it was, it’s fun just to again watch like these teenagers. And was I like that at some point? I’m like, maybe not? No, not at all. Wow, so different. I guess experiences of being a teenager from me to those. But it’s a good show to watch, for sure. I do enjoy it.
Do you feel like you relate to any of the characters?
Brenda: No! I don’t relate to any of it, honestly. But I enjoyed watching it, I guess! Just watching how the other side of the world lives. I was actually born in California, so like maybe if I was born, actually stayed there in California? Not born, I was born (in California). Maybe I would have been different or something? Maybe I would have talked differently too. Ha! I don’t know. Maybe I would have taken up surfing or I would have had different types of friends? I don’t know. It’s whatever. But I think that’s what I like. It’s like a big what-if sort of thing. Like, what if I would have grown up in the OC? I don’t know much, honestly. I was born in LA. We were living in Norwalk, California. I don’t know where Norwalk is, like what county? I don’t know much about that, hahaha.
It’s just interesting to watch these reality shows that are always turned on. I’m actually not that big into reality shows. That one was like yeah, like, I had to see it. And I think that goes back again to me being interested in like, coming-of-age stories. It’s that awkward time that we all went through. I don’t know. It’s the cringiness. It’s funny, it’s interesting. It’s whatever it might be. It’s heartwarming, whether or not it’s ridiculous but yeah, I think that’s fine. And then Bardo, going back to Bardo, which is for me like, my last big film that I saw. I loved it! I remember reading an article on Variety? Don’t remember much about it. I just think that it was like, quite a harsh critique on the movie. And it was like hmm…I got to see it for myself because I mean come on, (its) Iñárritu! Come on. I watched it. I’m like, nope. I got to go back. I’m not sure who wrote the article. I’ll share it with you. Maybe later.
Julie: Ok! Thanks.
Brenda: But yeah, I’m curious to find out whether like, the person that wrote the critique – what their point of view is? Are they white cis male? Are they Mexican, Mexican-American, some sort of Latino? I don’t know. Because to me, I love the movie. I love how it spoke to me. I think it compared it to, what’s that movie? The Italian one. Is it Nine and a Half? Or something like that? I think it is. And it (Bardo) just compares it to that. Nine and a Half. Is that what it is called?
Poster of Fellini’s film 8½
Julie: I can find it. No worries.
Brenda: But it’s like an Italian movie.
Julie: I like Italian films. Those films are definitely different now, I think.
Brenda: Yeah.
Julie: Now I just see that we’re running over time. Is that okay?
Brenda: That’s okay with me, yeah. 8½. It’s 8½. It was a number. Whatever. But it’s 8½. It’s a Fellini film, so okay that’s what I remember. Yeah, it’s Fellini and 8½, and they compared Bardo to this movie 8½. I was like okay, I remember seeing it. And I’m like okay. And how it (Bardo) was copying it. Blah, blah, blah. I got to see it again so I can compare it, actually. But yeah, I was just bashing on it in a way that I’m like eh, I don’t like this person. Whatever. But I enjoyed it (Bardo). I related to it a lot. I was almost, like crying throughout the whole thing. It was very much like a strong movie.
Julie: Okay.
Brenda: The story is everywhere. But I don’t know, it’s so, honestly for him writing, I think he (Iñárritu) wrote this with somebody else. I don’t know how he did it. It’s a story that touches so many points but he just puts it together like ties it together so very neatly.
Julie: Hmm.
Brenda: And it’s just very I don’t know. To me, it’s like how my brain works, maybe. Because I literally saw on screen how my brain works and how thoughts work.
Julie: That is really cool.
Brenda: I think that’s what he (Iñárritu) managed to put on the screen. And I’m like, what the fuck? Really, though? I’m like, how did he do this? How did he do this. But yeah, it’s a really good film. I don’t know if you’ve seen it. Have you seen it?
Julie: No. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet.
Brenda: I recommend it. It is a long movie. It’s like 3 hours long, I think or almost 4 hours long, something like that. But it’s a long movie. I managed to see it in theaters, and I was alone in the theater. So yay! Because I was in Indiana, and so I think it was back in November. Yeah, back in November when I saw it in theaters. There was like one person that came in and then they went out, like not even halfway to the movie, hahaha.
Julie: I definitely have to check it out!
Brenda: One I do want to see is Babylon with Margot Robbie. So that one, and it has this Mexican actor that I am very excited to see. His name is Diego Calva. I honestly didn’t know about him until I heard about this movie and while doing some reading he was on some Netflix’s Narcos series. So he was in that. And he got this film that basically is bringing him out into the spotlight. And I think it’s awesome. I’m interested. I’m always interested in seeing actors and especially up and coming actors.
Poster of movie Babylon
Brenda: Right now I am excited to see actually one of my actors that I had for my thesis film in college. He’s actually in Grey’s Anatomy. He’s one of the new interns.
Julie: Oh, wow!
Screengrab of Salazar’s short film Better Not Talk About Love
Brenda: So when I saw the promo for that, I was like fangirling. I was like I don’t know. Oh my god, I have such a good eye (because) You are so big now. I don’t know, hahaha.
Julie: Wait, so you had him in your film?
Brenda: I had him in my little film and it was when he was first starting out. He was like, “Yeah, just starting out here and finding some acting gigs.” He had just left another profession that he had back at home and wasn’t sure. He was like, “I’m just going to go for it.” It was amazing to see him on that show. He has another movie on Hulu that he did that he was playing a main character. When I saw him on Grey’s, I was like going like, ah! Fangirling. I actually emailed him. I was just like should I do this or not? Haha. But I did. I was just like congratulating him and saying to keep on working because it is so worth it at the end. He replied and was actually nice. He wrote back thank you.
Brenda: I just get excited by these people that I have worked with – whether they are actors or other friends that are working on getting their name out there. It is really cool.
Julie: Brenda, well, thank you so much for chatting with me. I know this is going to be a new phase you’re entering moving back and working for PBS. I was just wondering if you are going to have time for your own filmmaking projects?
Brenda: I think so. Something I am working on with another friend is to get a filmmaking group together to help each other create projects to bring them into life. Taking turns – whether it is acting, writing, or producing, directing, camera, whatever. So yeah, and I was working with another filmmaking group. This was before I moved back home to Indiana in 2019. I helped a group of actors that were producing each other’s short films. They were acting in each other’s stories.
Julie: And our MoMI film-interest social group too!
Brenda: Yeah! I have definitely talked with this friend about finding people to be part of our filmmaking group, and if anybody is interested whether it is getting their short stories produced or if they want to act or get their hands on a camera. Whatever they want to try. For me, it’s a good idea to get our creative side going.
Brenda Salazar is a Mexican-American filmmaker, mentor, and writer based between Indianapolis and Brooklyn. View her film & video work here.
Follow Brenda @brreeendaaaa
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