Meet Denise Yolén: Filmmaker, Writer, Actor

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

Hi Denise, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I don’t think about risk because being an artist in itself is a risk; it’s inherent in the function. I don’t think about being black, I just am. I don’t think about my heart beating, it just beats. I don’t think about breathing, I just breathe. I’ve always believed to be an artist is a life long flight by the seat of your pants. I’ve never been paragliding but I imagine it’s quite similar. There’s ups that can make you feel like you’re going all the way to the moon (I mean, what could possibly stop you?) and downs that can truly feel like near death experiences. (Those moments you just know, this is it… I’m gonna crash) and just as you brace yourself for the landing, to your delighted surprise, the wind takes you up again- and you keep floating. You just keep going. Making a film is always a massive risk. There is always going to be the potential to feel like you lost a lot of time and money. But that all depends on your WHY. If sales disappoint will you be disappointed in what you poured yourself into? Are you proud of the work you’ve done? It all depends on what your endgame is. With Sundays in July my team and I could feel the magic buzzing from day one. We were committed not just in service of the work, but to each other. Writing and producing Sundays was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. I believe when you work from that space, ultimately what you want will come in ways you never expect. Because I don’t know a life without risk, that also means I don’t know a life without an awareness of a consistent presence of something out there bigger than me; and somehow to me, that sort of feels like the point

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am in love with love. How we may cross the vast seas to get to it, or wait patiently in a raft in hopes for it to find us, is for me, life’s most thrilling and captivating topic. I am inspired by a number of playwrights, authors, and screenwriters including but not limited to bell hooks, Alain de Botton, Patrick Marber, John Patrick Shanley, and Mara Brock Akil. What compels me most is frank, to the point language, creating an opportunity in my work to say what needs to be said where it may be lacking in daily life. My work began in a self-scripting course at the Experimental Theater Wing at the Tisch School of the Arts. What I believe sets me apart from others is my personal outlook. I’ve always had a thirst for understanding people and behavior. With that being said I am an avid reader. The book next on my list is “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.” One of my all time favorite books is “How Proust Can Change Your Life” by Alain de Botton. It gets into the inner life of French Novelist Marcel Proust and how he felt his way through life. To take a moment to experience the details of all that is around you can be so profound. That’s why I love poetry so much. It is an opportunity to slow down the time. I infused a bit of my poetry into Sundays in July. I am most excited that we are now reaching audiences domestically and abroad. We recently won Best Feature Film at the Capital City Black Film Festival, and we are now an official selection of the Toronto Black Film Festival. The film takes an intimate look at two lovers navigating the minefield of their egos, fears, and flaws to dive into the most foreign and uncharted territory-true love. I am so proud to say that people have been moved by the work, and that it has deeply resonated the way it was intended to. Where I am today is attributed entirely to belief. There are certain things you feel deep inside, certain things you just know. It’s the outside world that then, shapes and shifts that, and unfortunately sometimes, can cloud it. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have people around me share and reinforce my core beliefs. I don’t have the typical artist’s story where someone told me that “I couldn’t do it”. Literally every single person in my life has told me that I absolutely CAN do it. My friends and my family are truly the wind beneath my wings. They won’t let me doubt myself even for a second. With that being said a major lesson I have learned along the way is how important it is to have people in your life that help you feel more like yourself. When you have that you can literally do anything. What I would want the world to know about me and my story is whatever has been set in my path is available for them and what they desire as well. My mom’s #1 saying to me growing up was “all you have to do is want it”; trust, it’s already in motion.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Funny thing, my best friend came to visit in 2019. One of my favorite places in LA is The Grove. It feels so magical. The music, the fountain, the lawn… you can’t help but feel good when you go. One of my favorite things to do is to sit at the Fountain Bar with one of their signature Gin and Tonics and see the show of the fountain (it’s particularly magnificent at night). When my best friend was here we sat on the lawn with her son and just soaked in the day. Another friend of mine was also having a screening of their film at the time at The Umoja Center. We sipped wine, looked at art and then he premiered his fantastic film. One of my favorite restaurants in LA is an Argentinian place on Melrose called La La’s. I usually go through two bowls of their chimichurri alone! I also really love Pizzeria Mozza – the “Nancy’s Chopped Salad” is unbelievable! I’ve been in LA for 5 years now but I’m still such a New Yorker at heart, and I really love to take walks to the LACMA museum. I also really love to go to Santa Monica. The pier is so scenic, and it’s so vibrant. The first time my best friend ever came to visit in 2017 we went with another one of our childhood friends currently living in LA. We rode the two person bikes, which was so thrilling to me because technically, I don’t know how to ride a bike. (Obviously, I was on the back.) Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my Sundays in July team; Joseph Austin II (Director), Jeremy Harris (Cinematography), Naiquan Greene (Producer), Greg Luther (Actor, “Trent”) Ahmed Alabaca (Composer), and Jonte Robinson (Makeup). Their commitment to the arts is unparalleled.

Website: www.deniseyolen.com

Instagram: @deniseyolen

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Image Credits
Brittany Chenault, Jeremy Harris