Meet Simone Bethancourt | Filmmaker

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

Hi Simone, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up I never had the chance to explore or develop creative skills, although I always had a pretty elaborate fantasy world. Art was just not something that happened in my house, and there was no support for it growing up. I think because of that lack of support I didn’t really get to know who I truly was or what I wanted until much later in life. When I first started college I had no idea what I was doing. I tried out a few different majors, but they never felt right. I even pursued fire science for a couple years and became a certified EMT, but it just wasn’t a good fit. Simultaneously I was working a handful of physically laborious jobs to support myself, and I knew that I didn’t want to do that forever. It took me a long time to work up the courage to enroll in an art class at my hometown college. Once I did I was hooked, and I wanted to try out everything to see what clicked best. It was a good opportunity for me to find out which mediums I enjoyed and wanted to improve in. I was the most enchanted with painting and photography, and I knew immediately that I wanted to continue to work with those forms. It was the first time in my life that I knew I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. As if I had unlocked a secret skill that had been hiding from me all those years. It felt like a light shining through decades of darkness. Despite the inherent frustration that comes with filmmaking, the sense of catharsis it brings is peerless. It has changed me on a molecular level and given me a renewed sense of self. I pursue it because it’s in my soul, and I can’t do anything else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I make films with whatever I can get my hands on. I like using found footage, stop motion, and lately I’ve been exploring hand drawn animation. I’m interested in live action too, but I just don’t have the funding for that sort of thing. Animation is certainly more laborious and time consuming, but it’s a great medium to work in if you’re resourceful enough and a bit desperate. I’m still figuring out my voice as an artist, but I’m more self-assured about the direction I want to take going forward. The film that I’m currently working on is a surreal expression of my experiences being a survivor of long-term domestic abuse. I’m interested in exploring the notion of being haunted through the lens of animation. The film is divided into three segments. The first segment, which utilizes stop motion techniques, focuses on a young torso-less girl who is stalked from her bedroom into the woods by an enigmatic shadow figure. The second part of the film, which is still in progress, will be hand drawn. I want to explore her character as an adult escaping the woods and getting stuck in a possessed house. Once inside the house she will have to contend with a similar malignant force. I have a third act planned where she escapes for good. My hope is that I can provide some sort of representation for others who have had similar experiences.

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?
For the first day I would take them to Royal Tandoor for lunch, and then go to the beach for the sunset. To finish the night we could have a drink or two at Red Lion. For the rest of the trip I would kidnap them and take a road trip to Death Valley.

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?
I want to dedicate this to my mentor Betzy Bromberg who has given me unparalleled support and helped me develop a sense of confidence in my work. Without her encouragement, kindness, and critiques, I know that I would not be making the work that I am now. She keeps me motivated, grounded, and inspired. I also want to recognize all of my beautiful friends in my cohort, who keep me on my toes and have brought so much love and joy into my life.

Instagram: pumpkinhead____, craigslistpilled

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@user-xs4vr8gb2h/videos

Image Credits
Valentina Rosset