Meet Alex Henes | Writer & Filmmaker

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

Hi Alex, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Art is catharsis. It’s never ending therapy. If you’re vulnerable, if you lean in, it allows you to really confront the weirdest, ugliest parts of yourself and transform them into something beautiful. Also I’m way too dumb to do anything else!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To me, the beauty of art is that it encourages both the creator and the audience to explore the unknown, the hypothetical, the mysteries of the world beyond our everyday living. We’re all waayyyyy too well-versed in the minutiae and tedium of just being a person: filling gas, checking the carton for broken eggs, calling a doctor’s office (nightmare.) Art acknowledges that reality but questions it at every turn and reshapes it into something beautiful, funny, freaky or grotesque. I love seeing how other people see the world. And I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to show the world what I see.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Frogtown is the most magical neighborhood in LA, so I’d have to start there. It runs along a gorgeous stretch of the LA River with views of the mountains. The river itself is teeming with life: big, lush trees miraculously sprouting from the concrete and blue herons the size of dinosaurs. Sort of a microcosm of LA’s beauty, this strange and stunning confluence of the natural and the manmade. Stop by Spoke and sip an Orange Ginger Cubano and watch some ducks do their thing. You will leave with your spirit lifted.

Eagle Rock Blvd has maybe one of the most perfect straight shot evening itineraries just ready to go. Start at Angel’s Tijuana Tacos for the best pastor you’ll ever have in your life. Eat it in the Target parking lot and use the hood of your car as a table. It adds to the ambience. Then walk off the meat sweats on your way to Capri Club for the best espresso martini in LA, and some top notch people watching. If you get a seat, you are blessed, but the hunt for a spot is kinda the fun. After that, go catch a screening at Vidiots (film geek heaven) and then after the show double back to Walt’s Bar for a beer, some pinball and a late night hot dog.

Koreatown. Not sure what else to say. You could spend a lifetime trying everything this neighborhood has to offer and you still wouldn’t get to it all. Outrageously good food, electric energy and the ultimate late-night spot when you’re feeling a little extra naughty. Go get way too drunk on soju at any one of the incredible KBBQ spots then hit a private karaoke room. And don’t sleep on Taylor’s Steakhouse.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without Dan Asma. It’s so easy to feel invisible in a city like LA, especially for a young, unproven artist. He saw something in me at a moment in my life where it felt like no one was even looking. When I first met Dan as a PA at the trailer company he co-owned, Buddha Jones, we couldn’t have been further apart on the corporate ladder. Yet he still made the effort to reach out and cultivate a mentorship with me. Since then we’ve become inseparable creative collaborators, producing shorts and features. He’s a really talented filmmaker, and he’s not afraid to push boundaries and get weird. He’s the best mentor and creative champion I could have ever hoped for, and I can’t wait to see what we do together next!

Instagram: @a_henes

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhenes

Image Credits
Josh Mauser (photo credits)