10 Questions with Serena Marija

Serena Marija is a multidisciplinary artist and experimental filmmaker based in Buckinghamshire, England.
Her surreal films and works of art draw purely from real-life experiences, her inner memory museum, imagination, and dreams. Apart from being immersed in a dreamy process of creation, Serena is in the final year of her MA Creative Business degree at the National Film & Television School whilst applying a rather westernised entrepreneurial spirit to several creative business ventures, which are currently in development.

@serenamarijacreates

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What are your history and your artistic background? 

Well, it's my pleasure to be connecting with the Al-Tiba9 platform and its readers. So, to give a little background, I was exposed to the arts from a very young age, and to this date, I have my mother to thank for that. I was born and raised in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom and would attend a local stage school on a weekly basis in addition to my regular schooling, which specialised in theatrical performance, as well classical and contemporary dance. From this point onwards, all subjects I chose were centered around media, literature, and the dramatic arts in general, which led me to take the risk upon graduating from high school into the industry to pursue a passion that I live and breathe. 
From the age of 18, I started my journey in the UK fashion industry as a model before transitioning into the Film & TV industry as an actress and writer. Every performance was a release. It was a way of bringing something to life, whether it was a piece of clothing with thought-provoking concepts or releasing a story through an emotionally-charged performance on screen, the entire journey had a profound impact on my life in every sense to date.
I now look at performance from a psychological perspective. Having the ability to twist, bend, and fully transition into another character deepens your own understanding of the many personality types, which leads you to some very intoxicating discoveries based on your understanding of how to read people, furthering your understanding of how to reach them on a deeper level through creative means.

How did you discover art and filmmaking? And what inspired you to pursue this career?

I'd always had an overpowering interest in cinema and the arts in general, as mentioned from my earliest experiences. Strangely, I never imagined that I would venture into filmmaking or develop such an unfathomable interest in an opposing direction to that of performing arts, but this transition came to surprise me upon joining the National Film & Television School in 2020, where I started my MA in Creative Business. I feel that I've truly discovered myself in this time period and really learnt to accept that I am a multi-faceted creator, and with this vastness in mind, it's fine to pursue multiple ventures centred around creative entrepreneurship.

You work with digital collages and films that take inspiration from real-life experiences but turn them into surreal works of art. What do you hope that the public takes away from your work? 

Yes, with my debut L'observatrice Détachée, it was a case of experimenting, yet I feel the piece could be studied continuously without really allowing the viewer to graduate. I had no specific outcome in mind, but with this particular piece, liberating the psyche, challenging one-dimensional viewpoints, and somehow encouraging the audience to consider the many sides of an object or situation was key since nothing is as it actually appears.

What are the main themes behind your work? And how do you approach and incorporate these themes in your production?  

In terms of themes explored within L'observatrice Détachée, we are essentially striking a balance between the rational appearance of the past, present, and future whilst asserting a great deal of power upon the unconscious mind and the dream state.
The best way to approach such themes is to contemplate everything without the disturbances of any external forces or points of inspiration, creating from a pure state without influence and allowing the imagination to defy all logic. When incorporating these themes, it's a case of introducing distortions and an added dose of visual manipulation into the mix.

And how did you evolve this way of working?

That's a work in progress and something that I am developing even further as we speak. Although, this evolution would be something of a formless process.

Have you considered working with NFTs? And what is your take on this subject?

I am currently working on my own collection of NFTs, which I am looking to release shortly. I am looking at it from a filmmaker's standpoint, and I believe that NFTs essentially pave the way to a whole new revenue stream - especially for those who are looking to monetise their creations. Another issue that NFTs could resolve for filmmakers is the very exploitative royalty structures exercised by the majority of digital streaming giants, as for films released as NFTs, this could mean profiting in the future from the re-sales, and I think the possibilities are endless on this front, we've already seen how they are financing numerous large and small scale film productions.

The past couple of years have been a turning point for many of us. What did you learn about yourself? And how did it influence your work?

I'm not sure that anyone made it out unharmed. I feel that many, especially those within the creative industries, had to pivot both in a personal and professional sense, but the very act of creating was not cancelled, and in that context, it was a very, very beautiful distraction. I was actually in the post-production phases with L'observatrice Détachée during the first UK lockdown, where we had no option but to adapt to the virtual mediums in terms of being able to continue with work, events, and planned release dates. In the end, it just reiterated the importance of perseverance, as well as resisting the urge to keep feeding the fears.

Let's talk about the future; where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I will launch my creative company towards the end of this year, and after the five-year period I'll be looking to expand to multiple locations across the globe, as well as all of the events and projects that are currently in development. The vision is huge, and I look forward to being able to share the gift of creativity with the world around us.

What are you working on now, and is there anything exciting you can tell us about?

At the moment, there are two experimental films with very thrilling release events in the works, as well as a book and a number of immersive events. I think it would be best to conceal the excitement surrounding the current creations for now, but as always, expect otherworldly, expect the unexpected, and expect to really have to separate yourself from your comfort zone.

What do you think is the role of the artist in society?

The role of the artist in society is to contribute towards revolutionising the everyday human experience, to reconnect audiences to themselves, to their dreams and desires, to inspire action, and establish a sense of togetherness within the wider community.