Please tell us about your decision to become a filmmaker.

I actually never wanted to be a filmmaker; I started out as a director of photography. I decided that in order to get some work, I needed to make my own films and be my own D.P. For my first film, I worked as a D.P. I was too shy to write to people to hire me as a D.P. so I decided to shoot my own film so I could work as a D.P. Following my divorce, I started writing and then decided to become a filmmaker. I was at home, I quit my job, I was, like, “What am I doing?” I knew I wanted to work in the industry. I was married for eleven years and I was a producer on my ex-husband’s films. I realized I had something to say and that’s how I started writing Vole vole tristesse (Fly, Fly Sadness). I wanted to make my general sadness about the state of my life go away. I’m trying to be more courageous so it’s like I’m talking to myself while I write. 

Which of your scenes was your favourite to write?

I love them all but I would have to say my second short film, Vers les colonies (Towards the Colonies). It was my favourite because after my first film, I was still quite sad. My cousins and I were sad about things around the same time so we decided to go on a cruise together. During that trip, I had a camera and during the day I would shoot random images of the sea or people on our boat without really thinking about making a movie because I was too sad to think about “cinema”. A few weeks later, I was looking at what I shot and it brought me a lot of peace so I decided to make a film using those images. 

Which scene was your favourite to shoot?

There’s a very short scene in The Fortress (Une forteresse) where these children are jumping from rocks into the lagoon. We hadn’t planned it like that but when we showed up there were these kids who were so happy and so full of life. So we asked them if we could film them and they were cool with it. It wasn’t written that way; we were just there and we shot it.

“Working with actors, even with friends, I always started with a tone of, “I’m sorry, this is going to be weird”. I had to accept that it would be ‘weird’ for some people working with me. It took a while for me to become confident in the way I express myself as an artist.”

How autobiographical is your work?

I would say 100%. I’m always talking about my view of the world. For my first short, it was about me reclaiming my voice as a woman, as an artist. For me, it was shot while I was depressed at sea. For the third film, The Fortress (Une forteresse), I wanted to make a tribute to the cousin my family had adopted after the Haitian earthquake. For my fourth film, Drei Atlas, it’s about the time I worked cleaning houses (except I didn’t kill anyone, lol). I really liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer so that was also a part of it. I have a lot of imagination but it has to start from something inside of me.

What is the hardest lesson you learned while writing?

Maybe this is a naive thing to say but I would say that writing has to bring you joy. Even if I think about my first few films, where I was in a sad place, actually writing those movies, shooting them and editing them, brought me a lot of joy. If you’re writing something and you’re not happy or satisfied while you’re doing it, it’s not going to work. I never force myself to write. I often laugh to myself while working, especially while editing, which I love. It has to bring you joy, otherwise, “Why do it?”

What is the hardest lesson you learned while directing?

Accepting the fact that I’m a bit weird and have a weird way of seeing the world. I used to be ashamed of that. Working with actors, even with friends, I always started with a tone of, “I’m sorry, this is going to be weird”. Accepting that it will be ‘weird’ for some people working with me. The way I introduce myself to people. To gain more confidence on set. For me, it took a while to become confident in the way I express myself as an artist. 

Whose work is most exciting to you right now? 

Ana Vaz, Jessica Sarah Rinland, Jasmin Mozaffari. It’s on an emotional level. Many movies have amazing visuals, but their work goes beyond that. Storytelling, editing, music, every detail comes together to create an emotional experience you’ve never felt before. It’s work that stays with you for a while.

What is your go-to feel-good movie or TV show?

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I watched it a lot, especially during this period of confinement (due to COVID-19). As for movies, Home Alone. My parents raised us as Christians so there were a lot of movies we couldn’t watch. Home Alone was allowed so we watched it a lot. I remember watching it with everybody in the living room, laughing and having fun. In my culture, everybody talks at the same time over the film so it’s this whole experience of watching things together. 

In what specific area would you like to see the industry change?

More diversity. It’s not a term I really like (depending on who is using it) and it isn’t always used for concrete action. More women, more POC getting to tell their own stories. I’m always trying to help people get their story out there. I was at this film festival and I got fed up at some point by the lack of diversity. I’m at my limit of men showing us how to love, how to be… we need much more than that now. I’m trying to be more conscientious of what I read, what I watch, to be more female-focused and diversity-focused. Different ways of seeing the world: we really need that. 

[BLANK] is a f*cking perfect movie/TV show.

Zama by Lucrecia Martel.

You can watch most of Miryam’s short films on Vimeo.