Ladies Room

I first met Rhonda Mitrani while studying in London in the mid-nineties. We bonded over the Cocteau Twins, being Gemini’s and the language of imagery. Telling stories to Rhonda meant a reflective play-by-play of camera sequences. I’d tell her something that happened, she’d take it to the screen in her head and narrate it back. It was an interesting exercise to have the still images in my head be brought to life in someone else’s.

Ten years later, Rhonda has moved from directing in the twin bed adjacent to mine, to worldly film editor and filmmaker, most recently directing, producing and editing the documentary Cuba Mia. The film tells the story of Cuban Jews returning to their childhood country after years of exile. Knowing Rho as both a woman and an artist, there was no doubt in my mind that she would find a way to tell the personal story with integrity and warmth, while also bringing to light the political issues that surrounded the journey. Which is why, its continued success on the festival circuit, including being featured at the Mallorca Film Fest in Spain, is unsurprising.

With her new project, The Florida Room, she has again set her sites on making a artistic difference. Born out of a love and respect for independent film, The Florida Room advocates a collaboration of local artists, organizations and citizens, to create community events centered around art. It provides a platform for dialogue and an outlet for expression and education.

The organization launched its quest with its documentary film festival, The Rebirth of Social Media. Now in its second year, the festival runs Nov. 13-15th with the theme “Unsung Heroes” and features award-winning films and their directors.

As the festival gets set to kick off, I checked in with Rhonda to find out how her thinking has grown up.

What are some of the challenges that women filmmakers face?

It's challenge that helps us get where we want to be - I think it's a universal tool for greatness in any field. As a woman filmmaker, one of our challenges is to use the gifts we have been given combined with respect, wit and tenderness from the heart.

What about women artists in general?

I think we still live in a male dominated society but at this point it's only residual…we may be in a place of transition. Anyway, women like Joan of Arc, Frida Kahlo, Oprah and filmmakers Jane Campion have illustrated great strength and have opened doors for women in any field.

Are there differences between male and female filmmakers?

Yes…guns, blood, and car chases.

How conscious are you of being a woman when you are working on a film?

Very little. As a Director, you are really only thinking of the story and how to get your message across using all of your tools with your team of collaborators. I was lucky to have such a supportive and talented team of people help make Cuba Mia. (They also forced me to stop editing and start screening.)

Whose work inspires you?

Right now Alexander Payne's dry and clever comments on our sometimes ridiculous societal behavior comes to mind and Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation is funny, witty and beautiful...their work nudges me to cross the line from documentary to fiction...they are modern artists that use film the way I some day hope to.

What way is that?

Like with The Hours or Lost in Translation - taking a film that is fiction, but you’re basing it on important social values and issues. It’s thought provoking – and you are learning something while being entertained. Which is my goal as a documentary filmmaker, but [those films made me see that] you can do it with fiction.

Tell me about The Florida Room…

The Florida Room is an initiative my partner Juan Carlos Zaldivar, also a filmmaker, and I started when we both relocated from New York City to

Miami Beach. The Florida Room is a way to contribute to the growth of the independent film community in Miami. We hope to achieve this by not only localizing our own films, but also strategically bridging local arts organizations with film organizations in other cities.

How and really why did you start it?

We were sitting in cafe one day trying to figure out how we can do all of these things under one umbrella…the umbrella became a virtual living room much like an art house, called The Florida Room! We also missed the art house films we got to see New York…we took it upon ourselves to premiere them in Miami. Our first program is The Florida Room Documentary Film Festival. We invite three award-winning documentary films that address social issues. We also bring down their directors and create a panel of professionals that can answer questions about that issue. Fifty-percent of our festival is the film and the other 50% is the outreach campaign we create around each film (i.e. breast cancer, civil rights activism).

So far you've picked themes for each of the festivals. This year's is “Unsung Heroes." How did you decide on that focus?

All of the films we choose focus on a social issues like the environment or diversity. This year's films coincidentally share a common theme: everyday people who have become heroes because of the struggles they faced during their lifetime.

Our first night features The Heart of the Sea, a film about Hawaiian surf legend Rell "Kapolioka'ehukai" Sunn, who carved the way for women in a sport once dominated by men. By the time she lost her 15-year battle with breast cancer, Rell's legacy had grown far beyond athletic feats. Her fearlessness, heart and humor are truly inspiring.

Our second night contains a selection of shorts from The Media the Matter's Online Film Festival. The shorts are fun to watch and can have a social impact that’s just as strong as a feature. (You can check them out at www.mediathatmatters.org).

Our third evening film is about the life and work of Bayard Rustin, a visionary activist and strategist for the American civil rights movement, he is the man responsible for the million man march to DC for Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech.

When you are choosing films to screen at the festival, what do you look for?

It's a combination. We look for social themes that are prominent but sometimes the quality of a film dictates our selection. We also want to make certain that the program as a whole covers a wide spectrum of social issues. By having a panel discussion included in our program, we’re trying to create a “Florida Room environment” through a healthy exchange of dialogue in a relaxed atmosphere.

What has been your greatest lesson learned as a woman?

That's a loaded question. Here is an important one for me: trust your intuition.

As a woman filmmaker?

That being misunderstood by some doesn't mean that what you are creating isn't good. In the end, your piece will be great and it will redeem itself with a universal quality on its own.

Any last words of wisdom for women filmmakers?

Trust your vision.

See www.thefloridaroom.org and http://www.cubamiathefilm.com for more information.

E.C. Thomas is an independent filmmaker, photographer and writer in Boston: dragonflyROAR.com.