Alexandra Cerna
BFA – Film & Television, Spanish Minor
Junior
The semester began with us immediately jumping into pre-production. I had written a script for a film called The Sound of Trees, a project that felt very personal to me. It was a tough process, constantly meeting with faculty, my partner, and my producer to try and figure out the best way we could execute this project and to properly relay my vision and story. After months of hard work, casting and crew secured we were only weeks away from shooting. That is until the virus hit. Everything was on pause. My classmates and I were heartbroken over our projects, it was a hard pill to swallow. I knew I couldn’t stand idle and mourn my film, I had to continue to create.
During all this, I had also lost my aunt. I felt immense sadness, grief and a feeling of being lost. Throughout my life I have lost many close family members, and creating short films and videos always helped me heal and express my pain. This semester, despite everything going on I knew I wanted to put my all into a personal project. With the help of my brother I created Closer to You. It expresses grief, death and the wonders of life. A video that represents the interconnectedness to everything, including our loved ones who have passed and the beauties of transition and change. It helped me heal, and I hope as an audience member it can do the same for you.