Interview Viste la Calle

http://www.vistelacalle.com/160507/entrevista-a-la-realizadora-audiovisual-monica-menez-el-futuro-en-la-moda-pertenece-a-las-imagenes-en-movimiento/

How does this success and international recognition make you feel?
MM: It is incredibly rewarding – especially if you keep in mind that it was not my initial goal to pursue a career in the fashion film business!

> About ‘The Journey’, Laura Ponte was your main actress. What was it like to work with a celebrity? Did it add a different level to your work process?
MM: It was great to work with her – she is an experienced model and actress. I did not have to explain much to her, for instance how to move or how to act in front of the camera. Many models are insecure when they have to appear in a fashion film for the first time. So working with Laura Ponte was a great experience for me, and her appearance and acting really added to the film!

> Your work is incredibly detailed in every aspect. Would it be a true statement to say that you are a perfectionist?
MM: Everytime I start working on a new project, I have a specific vision in mind and I know exactly how everything should look like. The preparation process takes quite a long time, which leaves enough room for me to work on every detail. That is actually the most fun for me: Preparing and arranging the whole design of a set for a photo shooting or a film, from the furnishings and decor to the combination of colours. But during this process I am very chaotic and capricious, which is why I would consider myself a chaotic version of a perfectionist!

> About ‘Hors d’Oeuvre’, the three episodes are absolutely fantastic. Where did you get the idea for it? Where do you find inspiration in general for the story lines and visual concepts?
MM: In the particular case of „Hors d´Oeuvre“ the initial idea for the first episode came to me when I found a funny piece of music – the Tango, which can be heard in the second part of this episode. I was fascinated by this composition and listened to it over and over again. This was when I came up with the idea of a woman hanging from the ceiling, with her feet moving to the rhythm of the music. The two other episodes just evolved from the first one. Generally speaking I get inspired by all kinds of things. Music is the most important influence in my work, but a piece of clothing or furniture can inspire me as well. Plus I have a soft spot for particular colours, especially tone-in-tone and pastel like colour schemes.

> Can you tell us more about the vintage style and decor ‚Hors d’Oeuvre‘ was filmed in?
MM: The style and decor was inspired by a particular look that was used in an old advertising catalogue for an American carpet manufacturer named Armstrong from the 1950s. The pictures in it showed spacey furnished apartments which all had very futuristic and extreme colorings, combined with incredible patterns. This composition of colours and textures appealed to me, and I wanted to transfer it into my film. The first thing I was searching for was the wallpaper. After I found the perfect exemplar, I accomodated the rest to this wallpaper.

> The music also seams to be a very important component of your movies. It always fits and adds perfectly to the ambiance and mood. Where do you find it?
MM: Music is a very expensive matter, which is why I am constantly scanning databases that provide royalty-free music. That is quite an effort since these databases contain a lot of junk, but every now and then I find a masterpiece. Meanwhile I have a huge collection of great and exciting tunes, and everytime I work on a new film project I go through this collection. Sometimes I also get music from bands that I know, or the music is composed specifically for a film project.

> You are obviously also an amazingly talented still photographer in the field of fashion, beauty and conceptual work. What is the nature of your next project? Photography or fashion film? Do you have any more or less passion for one or the other?
MM: First and foremost, I see myself as a photographer. Filmmaking is something that evolved from this. I love both art forms, which is why I want to pursue them equally. I want to be recognized as a film maker as well as a photographer. It always depends on the idea that I have in mind whether I choose film or photo in order to convey what I want to express artistically.