Meet S. Christian Roe | Writer & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with S. Christian Roe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi S. Christian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Simply put, the act of writing, building, filming, whatever the creative vocation is… it’s a service to what it means to be alive and human. And in that, I find it fascinating to see so many others, who are all so incredibly creative, have such different definitions of what “being human” or the “human experience” means. In a way, art binds and bridges gaps across age, culture, gender, race, class, etc., and I want to be an active participant in the communal aspect of creating things that help unify people or change the world. To be an artist is to see things with a different lens, to be critical or congratulatory of the reality around you and to then help others try and make sense of it all; while the artist is also simultaneously trying to make sense of their own perceptions.

I know of no other thing I could do other than to be creative. Anything else would be just a performance and in that… there’s some creativity, too.

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.
Where I am today professionally feels just as simple as it was when I was writing comic books and drawing superheroes with markers in first grade. I don’t remember a time I didn’t want to be a storyteller. Whether it be through acting (when I was younger), writing (always), directing (doing more and more), I’ve had the drive to connect through others through creative work.

The hardest challenge of it all is picking the right way to express the story. Sometimes it’s better suited for a stage play, sometimes a radio show, other times your story is a three line poem. It’s about knowing what best serves the art and the audience experiencing it. By not limiting myself to one way of telling a story, I think I’ve overcome the biggest hurdle I’ve faced (save for financially speaking).

I think my biggest lesson I’ve learned over the years is to be authentic to your voice and vision. That isn’t to say you’ll have it right away, some people do and that’s incredible. But it could take you years of failed experimentation, trial and error, until you find what that is. Once you find it, hold onto it for dear life and never let go because no one else can see or express your world as clearly as you do. I’m still learning to speak and see clearly, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re still trying to figure out your artistic path.

This world is a wild and weird place and I hope that in some small way I can reflect that in what I create. It’s a beautiful and absurd mess, it’s a miracle any of us are making any sense of it all, but yet, we’re still standing and telling stories to one another. I want to carry on that tradition and maybe inspire a few folks along the way to speak their truths to the masses. Through understanding we can facilitate change, internally and externally.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It varies from friend to friend, obviously, but there are some staples that one must do in this crazy city.

1) Eat at a taco stand. I’m not talking a truck either, though there are plenty fantastic ones. I’m talking about the string lights with the plastic stools and the tubs of rainbow colored salsas so divine you’d want to drink them.

2) Get a cocktail at Musso & Frank Grill. Pay homage to the jewel of our city. Forget the new modern, go to the old school and take a proper lesson in the form of a stiff drink at the classy bar. Something elegant and simple. Nothing that requires whipped cream and nothing that the bartender has to ask instructions for. Trust them, they won’t steer you wrong.

3) Visit Griffith Observatory, Venice, Arts District, Larchmont Village, Thai Town, K-Town, Little Tokyo, WeHo, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, I mean there isn’t a neighborhood in this city that doesn’t have something worth checking out. You’ll get the most out of this city by just simply going anywhere the winds take you. Though nothing beats a warm afternoon in Barnsdall Art Park.

I think the most important thing to do while your here is to try something you wouldn’t do anywhere else. Make LA feel as magic as it does whenever you hear people, who have never been to the tourist trap of Hollywood/Highland or endured the 405’s traffic, daydream about it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To name all the people in my life who have supported me, offered mentorship, love, and encouragement would be truly a never ending and ever-growing list.

However, one direct experience with the American Pavilion, specifically with the Cannes Film Festival Student Program, truly changed my entire life in an incredible way. While out there I made friendships and relationships with artists and collaborators that I would end up working with for years. I had a short film premiere in their short film market, which opened up a lot of opportunity when I came back to the states. I found kindred spirits on the French Riviera and even though we may never see one another again, the impact they made will be felt forever. If you have any chance to be a part of this amazing group of people, I strongly encourage it.

Most importantly: friends and family. We are nobody without our community and I am not even a fraction of who I am without them.

Instagram: @roebotwriter

Twitter: @roebotwriter

Image Credits
BTS production photos provided by David Ridker and Casey Hammons.