Alex Dauphin- Filmmaker Friday
This week we’re joined by filmmaker, actor, & writer, Alex Dauphin!
(This interview was edited and condensed for clarity)
CA: Hey Alex! Hit us with your bio.
AD: Hey guys. I'm Alex Dauphin and I'm a Haitian-American writer, actor and, director.
CA: How did you spend your quarantine summer?
AD: Fun fact– this summer one of my best friends and I hiked 500-miles of the Appalachian trail, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. We had days where we were hiking 16-miles with 40-pounds on our backs. And you just kind of realize like, wow, nature on its own is just so beautiful.
CA: How did that affect you as a human & as an artist?
AD: I think for me, it was a trip about reconnecting spiritually, finding some grounding– especially after such a hectic year with COVID and everything that's going on in the world. And also just really, going away to find inspiration. I started writing poetry, again, as well as journaling and doing other forms of writing. And so it was really cool, for me, to see how closely related might be creativity is to nature.
CA: What else has been inspiring you recently?
AD: A piece of art that I've been really inspired by recently is actually the show, 'Ratched,' on Netflix. I love the use of color, the over saturation of color, and the simplicity of certain pops of color from costuming, to art design and set design. I think it's just beautiful all around. I think every single still could be featured in a gallery somewhere. And the music! The score of this TV show, really acts as another character, and just watching all of those elements, along with the masterful acting all of the actors involved, it just really shows like how important all of the departments are in creating a story.
CA: Tell us about Black Stories Project!
AD: This is a platform that I launched this summer to create space for Black People to share their experiences with Blackness. Oftentimes, Black stories are told by white people or curated for white audiences. And so for me, it was really important to start to create space for Black People, to tell their own stories unfiltered.
CA: Can you tell us about the first episode & your goals going forward?
AD: I think, one, it's really important for us, as a society, to understand the many ways that racism affects Black People, People of Color in general, and how it can take many different forms. So I think it's really important to talk about all of the many ways and nuanced ways that racism can, you know, really hinder and inhibit people's lives so that can, we can work to fix it. I'm really excited about this project, both for Black People and for the non-black people watching. I think it's important for Black People to know that all of their identities included that they're not alone in their experiences with racism. I think it's also a really important project for non-black people to watch. Oftentimes they don't know what micro-aggressions look like. And so for them to be able to say, "Oh, that was actually racist. I think I've done that in the past too." Not only can they correct it for themselves, but they can correct it for other non-black people around them. They might watch doing a micro-aggression.
CA: Any shout outs to close?
AD: Shout outs to Reshmi Hazra and Kenzie Elizabeth to incredible film directors. Shout out to Priya Moahanty, the screenwriter for Fobia Series, and a shout out to Sarah Mornell and all the folks at Mornell Studios for paving the way for women in the film industry.
CA: Thank you, Alex! Where can we find you?
AD: Thank you so much to Camera Ambassador for having me on for this interview! You can follow me @alex.dauphin and you can follow Black Stories Project, @blackstoriesproject.
Check out the video interview (and all our #filmmakerfriday videos on Youtube):