Meet Lara Minotto | Writer & Creative Director

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

Hi Lara, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Fate up against your will. ” It is a lyric taken from The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen, a song that I grew up listening to. I love it so much that I have it tattooed on my ankle! To me, it simply means to let it go. Sometimes, fate will decide your next steps and there’s not much you can do about it. Fate is impossible to be planned, or to be expected. Sometimes, it goes against your own will. And that’s more than okay!

As someone who had the urge to control everything around me for years (and turned that into an immense source of stress) getting used to just letting the universe do its job has been life-changing. It not only has helped me embrace a more fearless perspective in anything I do, but it has also progressively turned me into a good problem-solver and improviser whenever I need to switch gears last minute in any situation (which, by the way, happens a lot in the film industry).

When I got it tattooed, my mother told me it was a “way too strong sentence to engrave on your body forever,” but I have to disagree. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ever want to have control over my life – but rather the opposite. The less control you want to claim over superficial subjects, the more control you have over yourself and your reactions. It is a comforting affirmation to keep in mind whenever things don’t go as planned. I remember one time a friend of mine just looked at me randomly and said: “Lara, have you ever noticed that, in the end, things are always right?” and I also keep that in mind a lot. Some people would disagree, but I strongly feel that way. Because it is true. In the end, everything always happens the way it was supposed to. Even if you’re bothered by something, just give it a bit of time – because it will make sense someday. When we go through horrible moments in life, there will always be great moments that come afterwards. Things will align themselves again. Fate up against your will!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a strong believer that where there is passion, there is success. And as a current film student, I not only feel passion for what I do, but I also feel like a huge multitasker. I love writing and directing films, but I have also worked in multiple shoots as a Production Designer, Script Supervisor, and Sound Mixer. I just love being on set, no matter the circumstances. Just give me a call, and I’ll be there!

My filmmaking journey technically started before I even came out of the womb. My father named me after the character Lara, played by Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago (1965). He says that from the moment he first watched that film, he knew he wanted to have a daughter named Lara someday. And well, here I am, in Hollywood! Perhaps it was fate, but I started writing and directing my own short films, starring my dolls and toys, when I was 8. I would post them on YouTube, and by the time I was 10, I already had over 100 subscribers (at that time, it felt like absolute fame), and got my first ever professional camera to start shooting. In high school, I was a part of a theater group in which I acted in multiple independent plays, and even wrote and performed my own one-woman show when I was 17. I surely want to get back into acting for the future. And after all those experiences, it became a natural decision for me to go to film school. It almost felt like I didn’t even have another choice – it came to me so instinctively and certainly.

It absolutely wasn’t easy to leave my small hometown in Brazil, where filmmaking is not even considered “a career” and coming to LA by myself when I turned 18. During my senior year, I remember one of my teachers passing around a sheet for everyone to fill in which colleges we were planning to go, or which majors we were considering for the future. When I wrote down “film school” that teacher looked at me with the most confused eyes ever, because she didn’t even know film was something to be studied. But as I said before, where there is passion, there is success. I feel extremely privileged and grateful for being where I am today. Being in LA, I’m constantly writing, directing, and learning. Anything involving creativity absolutely amazes me.

I have just recently finished post-production of my family-drama short film “Bridget,” which I am very excited to put out in the world soon. Now, I’m currently writing “Room 14,” a horror short film that I expect to release by the end of the year, and “Hearts,” a coming-of-age feature film based on some of my own life experiences, which I am very proud of!

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.
This is such an exciting question! I love being a tour guide. Our first stop for breakfast would be The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop, in Burbank. They have the best raspberry mocha in the WORLD (which I might have already advertised to every single person I know). Next, I would let my friend decide whether we should go to the Universal Studios Theme Park or to the Getty Museum, my favorite touristic spots in the area. For lunch, the farmer’s market at The Grove is the safest option for all! My personal go-to there is Pampas Grill, my favorite Brazilian restaurant in LA. For dinner, Veggie Grill would be my first choice, The Cheesecake Factory my second (we all need a sweet treat sometimes). It really depends on the vibe of the trip, but if there are any concerts or shows of our favorite musicians, there are no doubts – we are absolutely going! I am a sucker for concerts and festivals. And if we have enough time, I’d definitely take my friends to Knott’s Berry Farm, Disneyland and/or Six Flags (I am sort of guilty of being an amusement park nerd too). But at the end of the day, watching recently released films with popcorn at any theater would be amazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I know it’s cliche, but I would like to thank my family above all. Especially my mother Fabiana, who has always been my main inspiration to get into the creative and artistic world. She introduced me to most of the films and filmmakers that I love today, which have shaped my entire present and my future. I will never forget any of our Blockbuster trips from when I was a kid. I also want to thank my father Carlos, who has always believed in my ambitions and my potential. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be in LA doing what I love today – I wouldn’t even have gotten my first ever camera as a birthday gift when I was 9. I also want to thank my cousins Patricia and Fernanda for always being there for me, and my grandmother Maria for not only giving me my middle name, but also being the most joyful person in my life. All my friends, from back home and also from LA, have all been incredible people that I can’t leave out. Each person in my journey has helped me shape me the way I am today. My heart feels like a mosaic built with pieces of everyone I have ever loved. And I wouldn’t be where I am today without any of those pieces.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelararis

Image Credits
Credits to Angelica Figueroa and Talitha Stallbaum.