KAREN CHAPMAN
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FILMMAKER?
From children’s television shows like Sesame Street and movies like Honey I Shrunk Away the Kids, The Neverending Story, I as a child, I would become deeply lost in stories. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to tell stories.
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE IDEA FOR VILLAGE KEEPER?
The film is loosely based on my family’s experience, it was created to honor my mother’s journey.
WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME MAKING VILLAGE KEEPER?
The struggles were constant, there were always obstacles. But the reoccurring threat were always time and money.
HOW DO YOU WORK AS A FILMMAKER?
Ideas for films usually begin with a question or curiosity that I’m unable to forget. From there, I usually formulate a thesis, a statement that I have to set out to prove. And then I use collages and look books to navigate aesthetic.
WHAT'S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR ASPIRING FILMMAKERS?
Focus on developing your own individual eye. Pay attention to scenes that moved you, why did you love it? Why you didn’t care for it. Read often, get a part time job where you interact with people, go to art shows… work on refining your taste. It will never be perfect so just start.
FUTURE GOALS?
Project based work can create unhealthy patterns of chasing, from crew, cast, funding…hustling…it’s not sustainable or healthy. My goal is to live a more balanced life.
ABOUT
Karen Chapman is a Canadian director and screenwriter known for VILLAGE / IMDb
