Meet ZsaZsa K. | artist, curator, filmmaker

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

Hi ZsaZsa, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from L.A. (born & raised), but I’m Seneca Indian ( Onöndowa’ga:’ / Hodinöhsö:ni’ ) on my mom’s side. Lately my biggest motivation has been the fact that my Great Grandma Lucy was a survivor of an Indian Residential School on the Seneca Nation of Indians Cattaraugus territory (NY). Over the last year, I’ve started to realize how that truth has impacted so much of who I am (via the ways it affected my family thru the generations). Sadly, due to the attempted colonization of my tribe, our family lost touch with most of our traditions & culture. But what matters most is we are still here! As they say on the rez, “Seneca Strong”! After a lifetime of soul searching and unclear goals, I’m finally at a point where I hope to fine tune my technical skills & build my confidence to share my messages of hope & healing via filmmaking.

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.
Art has always been a therapeutic practice for me. It’s the way I process life circumstances, experiences, and personal relationships. Filmmaking has been the most complicated, collaborative, and challenging art form I’ve delved into. That being said, it has also resulted in a catharsis that I’m now hooked on. It’s allowed me to incorporate all of my passions & talents into one, all encompassing, creative career. Each project serves as a tremendous learning experience, building on prior successes and failures, and setting goals for future scripts and edits. I’m not sure my films are for everyone, but that’s ok. Federico Fellini once said, “I don’t like the idea of ‘understanding’ a film. I don’t believe that rational understanding is an essential element in the reception of any work of art. Either a film has something to say to you or it hasn’t. If you are moved by it, you don’t need it explained to you. If not, no explanation can make you moved by it.”

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.
– Cinespia picnic movie screenings (at The Greek Theater & Hollywood Forever Cemetery) are an all time fav! – The Hollywood Museum (located in the historic Max Factor building on Hollywood Blvd) hosts 3 floors of “vintage Hollywood memorabilia & movie props!
– The Spare Room (at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel) is a gaming parlor & cocktail lounge, complete with 2 vintage bowling lanes!
– Petit Ermitage Hotel (West Hollywood), a Bohemian Boutique Hotel discretely hidden in a residential neighborhood, hosting a perfectly curated Instagram account to intrigue your curiosity!
– The Shakespeare Bridge (Franklin Hills section of Los Angeles) built in 1926, made of concrete and decorated in a Gothic style, it was named after famous playwright William Shakespeare
– Los Feliz Blvd (just south of Griffith Park), for a tree lined (& often traffic riddled) taste of classic L.A.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Mom – for encouraging my artistic journey & evolution & never suggesting that I don’t quit my day job My Husband – for helping me utilize film as a means of storytelling
My Dear Friend, Natasha Estrada – for always supporting my creative process with words of encouragement, & being sincerely empathetic during times of joy, sorrow, and the daily grind

Website: https://letheatredart.wixsite.com/zsazsak

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

Other: https://vimeo.com/letheatredart https://www.galeriavida.com/residente

Image Credits
Eden Serafina, Ezra Lucas, Frank Luis, Aaron Kahn, Teddy Jack, Jay Looby, Ian McElroy, Louis Schefano