Meet Esmée Lavalette | Director

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

Hi Esmée, how do you think about risk?
I think that without taking any risks you might not get far in life and achieving your dreams. When I first moved to LA back in 2018 there was a sign at my hostel that said: fear kills more dreams than failure. When I saw that I knew I had made the right decision, even though I was so scared because I had taken this huge risk. There were many moments before actually moving when I thought about not going, because so much was at stake. Leaving behind all my family and friends and moving to another city in another country where I didn’t know anything or anyone. Now looking back at it, I’m really glad I did it. Taking this risk allowed me to follow my dreams and to really explore who I am as a person. Over the years I’ve grown so much as well.
In my career as a filmmaker I think it works the same way. You have to be able to take risks to be able to stand out from others. Doing the same thing that has been done many times before will not get you noticed by the public.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always loved movies. As a kid I would rewatch my favorites on a weekly basis. As I started getting older, I’d often grab my parents’ camera to take pictures and shoot little videos. After a while they got me a small camera of my own which I used to film my friends in middle/high school at all times. When we went to special events I’d edit all my clips and photos together and added music to give my friends a memory of that day. I loved doing this but never realized that this is what I could be doing professionally. It wasn’t until 2010 when I saw Inception at the movie theater that something inside me clicked. I realized that I could do this professionally and that a film like Inception was exactly what I wanted to be making. After this realization, my decision to major in Media and Culture studies at the University of Amsterdam was an easy one. I enjoyed my studies, but I knew I eventually wanted more than this. After a bachelor and a master’s degree, I was determined to make my way to LA and had my eyes set on the directing program at UCLA Extension. In 2018, I stepped on a plane with a one way ticket.
Moving to LA really opened my eyes to filmmaking in a different way. I love how almost everyone you meet has a connection to the industry, whether it’s them and their own job or their friends. I got to meet so many amazing people and work alongside them to produce some awesome projects.
Just from my program and surrounding myself with so many amazing filmmakers, I learned so much about myself and what I want my art to say for me. I realized that as a lesbian, I always want this, or queer culture for that matter, represented in some way. Because even though we live in a time where there’s more and more queer media and characters, a happy ending is still, sadly, not something that we often see. As a huge fan of the horror genre, I’d love to make queer horror movies.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Even though I have a love-hate relationship with doing touristy things, I would still show them all of the typical places in LA you have to see if you’re here for the first time. You have to take someone to Hollywood Blvd and to the pink wall. I’d take them to the beaches, they need to see Venice and Santa Monica. I also absolutely love going on hikes so we would hit a few trails. Obviously you can’t miss Runyon Canyon. I’d take them to DTLA for the day, so we can see all the murals, go to Grand Central Market, The Last Bookstore and The Broad. Other museums that I love going to are The Getty and the Academy Museum. During my time at UCLA I worked at the Hammer Museum so I would also definitely take a friend here so they can check it out.
We’d also definitely hit up the Farmers Market and The Grove. I’m also a sucker for Universal and bonus points if they visit in September/October so we can go to Horror Nights!
I don’t really have a specific bar/club that I like to go to, but there’s a few monthly parties for queer women that I love to go to and would definitely take my friend to as well.
I have so many favorite food spots in LA, but a few of my favorites that we would definitely go to are Uovo, Maharaja and Sugar Taco.

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?
Definitely my parents and my friends from home in Amsterdam. Without all of their support I would have never made it this far. They have all continued to believe in my dream and my passion, even if it meant they had to let me go in some ways.

Instagram: esmeelavalette

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

Twitter: esmeelavalette

Image Credits
Maartje Hensen