Meet Alice Barros | Film Writer and Director

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

Hi Alice, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
The day that I decided to let go and stop trying to control my life was the day that everything started to change for me. Almost exactly a year ago, I was feeling so stuck and lost after trying to figure out what steps I was supposed to take to find success in life. I knew I had wanted to be a writer/director but I still wasn’t sure if that was even a possibility for me. It felt so out of reach. But then one morning in March of 2022, I decided to speak out loud to the universe that I was open and ready to receive life changing experiences. That very day, I met another writer/director who changed my life and is the reason I was able to make my film ‘A FORGOTTEN PLACE’. I believe that when we stop “efforting” so much and instead live our lives by each moment, always considering what is the best thing I can do for myself right now, that’s when we are guided to what is most aligned with our desires.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Wanting to be a writer/director feels like a ridiculous choice to make in life, or it did at least for me. That career didn’t even feel like a possibility to me until recently and I realized it was because there were so few ways in which I had access to that being even an aspiration of mine. But while attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 right before covid hit, I was so swept up in the movie magic that I made a promise to myself that I had to change careers to be in the film industry. I made a plan that was quickly altered once the pandemic impacted the world but it led to my job being terminated and me making the change to go to Santa Monica College full time to study film production. I also started working on sets doing various production jobs while also working on scripts and meeting people who had similar aspirations to myself. I felt momentum but I still couldn’t understand how anyone made their own film.

After about a year of focusing on school and working mostly as a production assistant, I started working part time at my favorite vintage shop. I remember thinking that I was going to meet someone significant through that job. After a few months, there was a regular customer who would come in that I knew worked in film and after some time of being too embarrassed to mention my aspirations, I finally spoke up and they offered to meet me for coffee. That choice of deciding to share my dream instead of staying quiet out of embarrassment, changed my life.

That person believed in me and wanted to support me making my first short film. We started meeting every week to go over my writing and everything just snowballed from there. Every step of making my film felt utterly unreal. I couldn’t believe it was happening. But when we began casting and I got to speak with potential actors about these characters I created, I felt a rush I had never felt before. Everything felt right and the more I felt that, the more everything started to work in favor of this film being made.

What I’ve learned, is that when making a film that is such a collaborative effort, the way to make the best possible end product is to lead that collaboration with genuine heart and empathy. When you bring in the people involved into the process and let them do their magic and they can feel that you care for them, that ultimately is felt through the film. It’s such a laborious, intense experience to go through and I hope as I continue down the path of being a writer/director that I can always maintain a reputation for caring about the people around me. Because at the end of the day, the experience of making the film will be a reflection of the film itself and who knows what will happen with the film, but those memories will last forever.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite things to do in LA: – Griffith Observatory: takes my breath away every time I go. Must see one of the shows in the planetarium. You might cry!!!
– LACMA: certain days it’s free and they always have incredible exhibits
– King Richard’s Antique Center: this is a bit of a drive but it’s an incredible massive antique store
– Triple Beam Pizza: best pizza in LA
– La Pergoletta: Favorite Italian restaurant
– Hollywood Improv: love seeing stand up comedy and they always have good guests
– The Goldfish: a bar with natural wine that feels like a David Lynch fever dream
– Club Tee Gee: a fun spot to go dancing
– The Lucky Pig: best vintage shop in LA

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people I want to shout out. I could go on and on about my incredible family who have supported my dreams since day 1 or all of my amazing friends who are each talented and inspiring in their own ways. Or my gorgeous cast and crew on my short film, A Forgotten Place, who all played a part in bringing to life my vision.  But today I’m going to shout out a few individuals that were by my side during the most beautiful and most difficult moments of making my film this past August.

Two incredible, smart, talented women that deserve all the recognition in the world are Erin Marquez, my 1st AD on my film, and Nadine Snyder Mendez, my art director and childhood best friend. Erin, since the beginning of my journey to becoming a writer/director, has pushed for me to take risks and offered her support along the way. But during that time she herself started writing a pilot and exploring acting. She’s also an incredibly empathetic kind person and there’s honestly nothing she can’t do. Nadine, I have known since I was 13 years old and since the day I met her, she has always been the most creative, intellectual human I’ve ever known. So it made perfect sense to have her collaborate on my first film and help bring my vision to life. She has a magic touch to everything she involves herself in and also will work harder than anyone to go above and beyond your expectations.

Another person who I was so lucky to work with, was my DP, Sean Dahlberg. The moment I saw his cinematography, I knew he was the exact person I wanted to collaborate with. Having the opportunity to work with him was the best creative experience I have ever had – for not only his knowledge and immense talent but his dedication to his work. Look out for this one because he is going places!!! The last person I want to shout out is my producer, Sua Yoo, who not only helped develop my film from its early stages but found the most incredible collaborators to come on as our cast and crew. They are brilliant in so many ways and I was lucky enough to have them strengthen the story I wanted to tell. I am awestruck by every single one of these individuals and cannot wait to see each of them grow and gain the recognition they so deserve.

Website: aliceleighbarros@gmail.com

Instagram: aliceleigh123

Other: https://vimeo.com/aliceleighbarros