Meet Cecilia MeMor | Filmmaker

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

Hi Cecilia, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
Coming to live to the US as an adult. I had a estable way of living in my native country. When I came here, I started from zero and little by little I’ve been moving forward. I went back to college to learn the English language, and ended up graduating with a Film and TV production degree from the University of Los Angeles. Right after I graduated from college, our country went into a complete lock down due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. Now, we are experiencing the worldwide economic outcomes post pandemic. Making a stable career inside of the film industry in an economic landscape like that is a daily struggle. As I said, I came to this country as an adult, I speak English as a second language, I am a brown afro-latina who does not fit the beauty standards, and on top of that I still learning how to speak corporate without anyone guiding me, and with no previous network or contacts.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Getting to where I am, it has not been easy at all. I come from an immigrant family. I am first generation graduating from college, and I have overcome various barriers such as, learning a new language, access to job opportunities, economical challenges, and as a Latina one of the biggest challenges has been learning to embrace a mental health condition. Accepting mental health issues is still a heavy stigma within the Latino community. In my case, I began my journey to acceptance through my writing. I write stories to give meaning to the world around me or to explore unexplained internal questions. I write stories to heal. Some of the lessons I’ve come to terms through writing are: Fear will make even the most courageous person to avoid supporting you if in her mind she believes she could get affected in anyway possible. Only few people will remain by your side when life presents you with challenges, value them. Don’t pay attention to what people say, pay attention to what they do when nobody in power is watching — actions speak louder than words–. Keep loving people even when some individuals disappointed you in the past, we shouldn’t love others for their own benefit, but we should love them for our own peace of mind and heart. Those who hurt you in the past, love them and forgive them, but decide if they are worthy to be or not part of your life, you are entitled to deny access to anyone from entering your inner world. We can’t live in distrust forever, it will make us feel tired and hopeless. Hopelessness will make your mind ruminate in negative thoughts about others, it will drain your energy, and you might get severely sick, don’t suffer indefinitely for someone or something you can’t control. Lastly, if you are a brown woman who puts limits, you will be labeled as crazy and problematic, please keep moving forward, and be gentle with yourself. Learn to be with you, you should be your best companion. If others don’t support you make sure you do. My brand “Brown Girls Make Films” aspire to provide visibility and voice to underrepresented women filmmakers who dream with telling stories. As women of color, we have a very distinct way of telling stories. We tend to write from experience. For example, one of the projects I have on my pipeline deal with migration, family violence and taboos. The story is told from a latina teeneager perspective, and it is based on a true story. The script has been in development for the last six years, and it is ready to find investors. The challenge is finding those people who want to give a chance to our stories. I dream of finding a network of dreamers who support my brand so I can focus in training new generations of storytellers. At the moment, I am working with the Small Business Administration to find a business strategy for the brand.

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.
Los Angeles offers a variety of places to visit. In my case, my best friend from El Salvador visits me every once in a while. I always have a list of new places to take her. During her last visit, I took her to Seven Magic Mountains located at the Mojave desert, we went to Disneyland in Orange County. We visited the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum where she enjoyed the John Waters Pope of Trash exhibit. I took her to Mercado la Paloma to enjoy the renowned food from Holbox restaurant. One day before leaving, I took her to Tacos Baja, the best tacos on Whittier Blvd in EastLos. One of the greatest traits of California is its multicultural scene, and Los Angeles is one of its more diverse cities. I would recommend anyone visiting our city for the first time to take advantage of our diversity to plan ahead the places they want to visit. Most of cities’ websites provide a breakdown of activities for tourists. For example, the Lacitygov.com page provides tips for visitors about transportation and how to get to destinations, and discoverlosangeles.com opens a world of possibilities to those visiting LA. Please know that you are welcome to our city! immerse yourself in the variety of cultures that make us one of the greatest cities in the US.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My big shoutout goes to Xhana Namkung, Manager Campus to Career at Fox. If the Studio system was filled of Xhanas, people like me would thrive in those corporate environments, she is my forever fairy godmother. I also want to give a big shout out to Cameron Amstater, Kendall McCarthy, and Tania Romero –from ReelWorks– who trained me in Post Production for high end shows. They are awesome people who from New York train folks in Los Angeles and support them to secure their first big gig in the industry.

Website: https://browngirlsmakefilms.com/

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Mick Garcia & Alejandra Espazande

Crew Credits: Livier Vera-Lopez, Ruben Lopez, Marco Garcia, Mick Garcia, Mary Nieves