Film
I discovered my love for filmmaking during a summer camp. While others wanted to shine in front of the camera, I was drawn to the magic behind it—the power to create your own reality. Seeing my enthusiasm, my father bought me a camera, and making films with friends quickly became my greatest joy.
The Dutch Film Academy seemed like the next logical step. However, my time at the academy was overshadowed by a turbulent situation at home. While I was pursuing my dreams in Amsterdam, my family was beginning to fall apart. My father left my mother, and my mother fell into a deepening depression, later diagnosed as frontotemporal dementia. In 2020, during a psychotic episode, she ended her life.
Paradoxically, her passing brought a sense of relief; it finally allowed me the space to build my own life without the constant pressure of caring for her. This experience had a profound impact on me, both personally and professionally.
I learned what it means to grieve, to bear responsibility for another, and to care for myself at the same time. This journey has helped me uncover the stories I want to tell. Themes like loss, safety, and the complex relationship between parents and children are now at the heart of my work.
