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50 WINTER 2019 MOVIEMAKER.COM

ECOMING A MOVIEMAKER seemed like an impossibly ambi-

tious goal when I was growing up. I was living in Brazil, watching

bootleg copies of David Cronenberg films and, with typical teenage

angst, pouting at the reality of my existence, which seemed too far

removed from the film sets I wanted to crash. Now, years later, I’m

living in L.A., writing my third feature film. I get paid to travel the world directing

commercials. I get to develop projects with companies I admire, and have the sup-

port of managers and an agency behind me. I can objectively look back and share

what it took to get here. I’ve been told “no” a million times, I’ve had lead actors

drop out the day before shooting, projects halted for lack of funds, production

partners who lied and forged documents, distributors who ghosted and didn’t pay

for the movie even after it was released. It’s been beyond challenging, and in some

BREAKING

An indie moviemaker and

her contemporaries share

tales of rejection, resilience,

and resourcefulness

BY NATALIA LEITE

B

ENTERING

GOING SOUTH, HEADED NORTH: MOVIEMAKER NATALIA LEITE PREMIERES HER SOPHOMORE FEATURE M.F.A. AT SXSW 2017