–Who is Noelle Joy Sorenson?
Passionate, a dreamer with a vision and the determination to take the actions needed. A deep love for film and expression. An appreciator of life with an insatiable curiosity. A truth seeker and a story teller. Someone who wants to connect and share, with an understanding that at our best we are here to support, heal and love one another. Independent. Excited to follow the mystery with a bit of reason and the understanding that staying grounded is part of that recipe (at least for me). At times whimsical and silly, at others fierce and focused. Hardworking, fun loving, adventure seeking, and hopefully forever evolving and improving. A bit of a perfectionist. Team oriented, valuing the role that others play. Always looking for the magic, inviting spirit into every aspect of life and art.
– What Inspired you to be a filmmaker?
I think it happened organically. I don’t think as a girl, or young woman that I ever thought for a moment that I could be the one making the films. I think I was under the impression that men did that and I could work for them. I loved performing and saw myself as a musician, dancer, actor, creatively speaking. I think it was organic in that when I was on set as an actor, I was fascinated with every part of the process-not just acting. I wanted to understand all the moving parts from the PA’s to hair and wardrobe, you name it. The way a film set would become a family of sorts-people spending long days with each other all working together for a common vision. I would listen to the directors, AD’s, sound, DP’s, producers, show runners, etc.. On one set I overheard a bunch of the assistant directors, DP, etc. discussing what films they saw that last weekend. I remember they brought up Citizen Kane and I felt immediately that I had to see what that was all about. I loved the energy of the crew, the humor, the creativity of bringing it all to life! I was inspired, so I found a free MIT director film making course on line where I learned about films from famous directors such as John Houston, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Hitchcock, Ingmar Bergman… of course I was always an avid Spielberg, Scorsese, and Tarantino fan. I attended as many master classes and director talks as I could at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. I found myself so intrigued and inspired by Catherine Hardwicke, David O Russell, Francis Ford Coppola, the list goes on and on. At that point it still didn’t dawn on me that I was a film maker. I didn’t know I wanted to make films. I just thought I loved everything about film. Then I heard about this group of actors I knew that were making short films for a fun little contest they had amongst themselves. Something to do while waiting to book if I remember right. Intrigued because I knew so many of these actors I went. I watched peoples films, waited to see who won, thought about what they had done in a relatively short time and then it hit me. I thought, I could do that, I could make a film. I think I could really do this, I have so many stories to tell. I can, I can do this. And that was the jump off, beginning.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Yes. More than probably anything else. It’s very important to tell the stories that are often ignored in the history books, however these stories need to be told with empathy and compassion and as much truth as we can muster in order to create true shifts of mind and changes in society. To express things in society that we often don’t want to look at that need to be addressed for a better world. All change begins with consciousness, awareness, thought. I think films and television have the power to do that and do do that.
-What would I change in the world?
Huge question. We could talk about war, terrorism, hunger, education, illness. I’m going to bring that in and focus on my little snapshot. If I approach that question from a semi realistic point of view, I would change the world by offering them ideas, emotions, a spark to start a discussion, something thought provoking that makes us look within ourselves. Find our own truth. Recognize that choices are available. Can we choose love and faith over fear? Can we put aside our own baggage for the greater good? Change I think can happen one voice at a time-but it has to felt, it has to resonate, Hearts have to change, hearts can change minds.
-Where do I see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
Technology will reveal a lot of that as far as mediums, how we view things I think. Film, story telling will always be here. The basic components will remain because the human condition doesn’t change, fashion, trends, tech stuff-that changes but we always work, love, connect, eat drink, help each other, we have basic emotions of fear, anger, frustration, passion, anger. Human connection remains. That’s why good story telling from any time stays relevant and lasts. In 100 years as long as there are cultures, societies, human life-we will have films, or streaming situations with series or something like that, but we will have films. They will last. I think we will continue to connect more because of it- technology will create that. Maybe we will have multi sensory versions of things and be able to down load that into our living rooms, not sure. But good films …they will last forever, or at least as long as human life is here on this planet.
