Week of: Friday April 30th, 2021
Check out today's #FeatureFridays spotlight on Filmmaker & Journalist
!
Yasmine is premiering her first feature documentary film ONE OF OURS at the 2021 Hot Docs International Film Festival (April 29th-May 9th). It's a personal story that deals with themes of Blackness, Indigeneity, Belonging and Healing.
Check out our interview with Yasmine below:
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How did you get started in your career?
"I studied Political Science and Non-Profit Management in undergrad. This led me to doing a fellowship with the UN then I found my way into Journalism. My entry into storytelling was first as a writer, then as a journalist as an audio documentary maker and now it has morphed into filmmaking. I got started by following my own curiosity and learning how to tell stories, by youtubing everything I could, and studying the work of filmmakers and media makers I admired. Then for me, it was about trying to make things myself -- making mistakes and learning forward."
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What was a memorable yet life changing moment that you’ve cherished?
"I think the 4 year long journey of making this film really changed me. It's taken me to places I never thought I would be, and it challenged me as a person and it challenged the way that I approach this work and the responsibility of being a documentary filmmaker."
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Your favourite project you’ve worked on till date?
"I haven't worked on many film projects in a creative capacity, so I would have to say working on my own film has been my favourite project thus far."
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What advice would you give to individuals trying to get where you are?
"Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do. I think sometimes naivete is a superpower than an insecurity. I think sometimes not knowing can help you be more bold and brave than people give it credit for."
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Working on any upcoming projects we should know about?
"My first feature documentary film ONE OF OURS is having its world premiere at the 2021 Hot Docs International Film Festival (April 29th-May 9th). It's a personal story that deals with themes of Blackness, Indigeneity, Belonging and Healing. I've been working on this for the past 3-4 years, and I'm super excited for the world to see it! I am also developing a bilingual animated short documentary about my parents and their journey of belonging as Haitian immigrants to Canada."
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With the world’s current state, how have you been able to move your career forward?
"I've been focusing on doing the work, and trust that no matter the state of the world, the quality of the work will help speak for itself."
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Follow Yasmine on social media here: @yazbegrams on IG & Twitter.
Find Yazmine on Facebook here:
