Letitia Popa: ” I used to paint since I was a child, but later on discovered photography as a medium of expression, which of course, led me to film. I was also fortunate enough to be in a social group in high school that was very interested in cinema and theater and that opened up my desire to pursue this path.”

 

By Livia Galluzzi
Letitia is an emerging film director based in Bucharest, Romania. She is an ALUMNI of National University of Theatre and Film I. L Caragiale, with a Bachelor’s degree in Film and TV Directing, and a Master’s in Documentary Directing. During 2020-2021, she participated in a one year exchange program in Belgium, at Kask and Conservatory / School of Arts Gent, working on her Master project. Her film, Marie, received Best Directing Award at Astra Film Festival 2018 (DocSchool category), has been nominated at Prix Europa Rising Stars 2019, and has been screened at film festivals throughout Europe. Letitia’s films explore small and intimate daily life universes, with a specific attentiveness to the inward.
How much and how personal is there in your film?
The film was developed during my second year of studies at National University of Theatre and Film “I. L. Caragiale”. For that particular assignment we received 3 rolls of 35 mm black and white film stock. That would mean around 12 minutes of footage, so not enough time to doubt your take.
I wrote the poem that the film is based on in one sleepless night. I was processing a break-up during that time, and it felt only natural to put that into film. I also realized later on that it could have only been narrated by my voice. So to answer your question, I would say quite enough to reveal and not reveal too much at the same time.

 

Why did you decide to shoot the film in black/white?
As mentioned earlier, it was part of the assignment. As well as shooting outdoors. But because of that, I was very attentive to find a place that could fit both requirements, and also hold the story together. So in a way, the space dictated the structure of the film, as well as it managed to incorporate the black and white esthetics beautifully.

 

Who are your favorite authors and who inspire you to develop your cinematic language?
The directors I like vary quite a lot in style and approach, and although I’ve been inspired by them along the time, I strive to develop my own voice as a maker and to find my own authenticity inside the cinematic language. Johan van der Keuken, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Nina Menkes, Chantal Akerman, Guy Maddin, Miguel Gomez and Pedro Costa, are just a few that come to my mind.

 

What kind of future project are you working on?
I am now working to finish my Master’s film, which is an archive film based on the memories of a man that used to suffer from Alzhaimer’s and becomes a meditation on the cinematic medium itself. It’s a mixture between documentary and imagination. You can read more about it on my website: www.letitiapopa.com

 

What led you to choose cinema as an expressive medium?
The road was quite unexpected in some way. I used to paint since I was a child, but later on discovered photography as a medium of expression, which of course, led me to film. I was also fortunate enough to be in a social group in high school that was very interested in cinema and theater and that opened up my desire to pursue this path. I also realized, while accompanying a friend of mine to work on his practice, that I would shoot differently than him, that if I were him, I would have played with the angles and the colors much more. I also loved writing and wanted to tell my own stories. So in the end I realized this could be a path for me. And somehow, I am still on this path.

THE AUTHOR

Name: Letitia Popa
Film: Kiss me like the moon