1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I've grown up relatively close to the arts, constantly surrounded by music and photography which influenced my childhood and basically how I processed life. Ballet and modern dance was my individual outlet and continued that form of expression until my early twenties. I took an Italian Cinema course and was completely blown away by the raw, unapologetic truth through the combination of visuals, sound and movement within a frame. Specifically Michelangelo Antonioni's film L'eclisse changed everything for me and forever changed my trajectory as an artist. 

It really came clear that all forms that I experienced and absorbed led to this moment 

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

The initial idea for Waterfall sprouted when I sat in a museum in France and stared at a sculpture contemplating the ways mental illness is portrayed in cinema. I brainstormed how to show mental illness without actually showing/talking about mental illness and the many mental walls we've built to prevent ourselves from living a "free" life. All this being said, Waterfall took the form of  an artistic collaboration and what happens when you let your mind run free. How "crazy" one might feel when doing so. I knew in my gut I wanted to involve my background of movement to highlight the parts one can't necessarily put into words but express a deeper form of truth.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The biggest challenge I faced while making Waterfall was my own mental blocks I didn't realize I created AND believed. I held onto this narrative that I needed x amount of years under my belt to make a film and to study however amount of years to be considered a film director. This ultimately became my biggest asset because I allowed myself to trust the process and let go of rules or formulas. I don't know if there was technically an easy part of the process, but definitely letting go of artistic judgment allowed flow and everyone to come together bringing creative excitement. Even when we were technically running out of time because we shot this in two days, that wasn't even a challenge at that point because we were all flowing with resolutions.  

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

Oh man, this is a tough one because I have so much appreciation for every film I watch. The last film I did watch was evidently an Antonioni film, L'Avventura. I don't know if you can tell how much Italian film is such an influence but the natural dialogue and story line is completely ahead of its time. The composition of shots and the nuanced human life is exquisitely captured and I geek out over something new every time I watch it. 

5) What’s next for you?

Recently I filmed an unannounced feature during Covid that touches on mental health that should be announced come June. Also working on a coming of age film of three friends in their twenties traveling through Italy as questions about their identity come to the surface and face circumstances where they are forced to reframe their outlook on life.

—

http://johannablock.com/ | IG: @johannablock