Meet Andrés Mejía Plazas

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrés Mejía Plazas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrés, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I still have an issue with feeling a bit of guilt when I’m not doing something productive, and at the same time I also struggle with procrastinating quite a lot. Considering that my job is filmmaking, I’ve realized that my middle point in that is watching a movie from my watchlist because it’s both a leisure and it also feels productive somehow. Probably because sometimes I watch a movie and I just feel the urge to get up and make one, but also because to expand my knowledge in film history by watching the classics feels like it’s a learning experience.

For instance, after days of being on set, watching a classic feels like the right thing to do. Specially when it’s a high-art, experimental, long and slow film, it really is the right way for me to sit in silence and dissociate for a little bit. But also, when I’ve been on vacation, visiting family, or simply been going out a lot, watching a movie feels like I am back on track. The recurring commitment to sit down and explore a film I have never seen feels like a healthy habit.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For me, what makes my films different is the fact that I bring some of my “growing up queer” experiences to characters who express themselves different to me. I wouldn’t consider my films to be particularly autobiographical but I do draw from my life a lot, and I also want my films to be as colorful as I see the world. Growing up in Colombia has helped me see the world in a different way that I don’t see it portrayed in film enough. I always tell the art team that I love birds, fruits and flowers because of the insane variety of them we have back home and I just love watching that on film. The mix of all those elements is what I would consider to make my voice as a filmmaker unique.

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.
I’ve mentioned this a lot before, but I love places that just show my real New York experience regardless of it being picture-perfect. I love the different movie theaters of the city, whether chains or small independent theaters that show classic films and restorations. I love the trains trips to the beach almost more than I love the beach itself, because to sit there until the train becomes overground is such a nice experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my close friend Leonie Leiprecht. She’s a German actress who I met in New York, and I think she’s really seen my progress as a filmmaker and as a person the time we’ve known each other.

Image Credits
Liu (Neil) Lingyu Zuzanna Mach