Meet Irene Mercadal | Film Writer/Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irene Mercadal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irene, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I’m always writing down quotes from books or magazines I read. I write them on a small notebook I carry with me, on my phone, on several different google docs that I never find again, or on post-its all around my desk. I don’t do this because I believe it will help me in any concrete way, but because I take pleasure out of reading how clearly a quote can express a thought. A recent quote I wrote down is: “To refine, to clarify, to intensify that eternal moment in which we alone live there is but a single force – the imagination.” by William Carlos Williams. For me, the first part is a reminder of the meaning of art, of the reason why I do what I do. The second part reminds me of our most powerful tool as filmmakers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love movies because of their potential to show the complexities of human beings. I’m interested in questions that don’t really have a simple answer. Life poses those to us all the time, and what seems black and white can become a scale of grey as soon as we know a little more about it. I explore these contradictions in my films, whether through humor or through drama.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
New York City is a world, and there are so many places to check out! I guess I would start with the places near my home, in Ocean Hill. There’s the local dive bar we go to, a small comedy place and a more cool/exciting bar nearby. Downtown Bushwick also has some fun stuff, including a cafe/library called Molasses. It would take me a full page to describe an itinerary. In my time in New York I’ve lived in many different neighborhoods: Chinatown, Washington Heights, Morningside Heights, Harlem and Flatbush, near Prospect Park which is amazing. I would also take them to the neighborhood where I studied, near Washington Square Park. Only there you could find things to do for a whole week.
In any case, I would insist on walking a lot, and maybe biking a little – something I really enjoy. For me, walking is the best wat to get to know a place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have taught me, encouraged me, and supported me in so many ways. My parents and siblings, to begin with, have been unconditional. They helped me financially, emotionally, and by giving me feedback on all of my work, including the thousand applications I’ve filled in order to study a film MFA at NYU. Furthermore, my sister Ignacia and her husband Gunnar welcomed me in their home for the first two years I spent in NYC, before I could afford a room on my own. My partner, Fran, who has to bare with me through the creative ups and downs (not an easy task), my friends from back in Chile who give me the pleasure of talking about something other than film (and who cheer me from afar at the smallest thing), and my closest friends in NYC, who are a family for me. Last but not least, a lot of people have been mentors to me: professors, both in Chile and in NYC, and people I’ve worked with, sometimes frequently, sometimes for just one day. Thank you.

Website: iremercadal.com

Instagram: imercadal