We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful JULIA ROSENGREN. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JULIA below.
JULIA, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Where I grew up, as it is for so many people who grow up in similar circumstances, resilience was a necessity. Without it life, even survival, was going to be very, very difficult.
I was the middle child of five in the tiny northern Brazilian town of Timbauba. Our house had no electricity or running water. For our daily water I had to make the one mile walk to the river and fill our two large jugs with water. Somehow this task fell to me to as soon as I was big enough to do it. In order to carry the large heavy full jugs home every day I had to carry one on my head and the other in my arms. If I stumbled or one of my lazier neighbors tried to take my water for themselves (and sometimes they would succeed and sometimes they wouldn’t) or I otherwise spilled the water from one of the jugs, my family would go without water. That is unless I picked myself up, returned to the river and started over. Either the family of seven would have water or it wouldn’t. It was that simple.
In the years to come I would face many difficult even dangerous situations. Nothing however has even come close to exhausting the resilience that daily task instilled in me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Most recently, Julia has been working on writing and producing short films,
At the moment I am working on my next short film “ALORNOMORE” which concerns the abomination of violence against women. and different societies’ role in it.
Also, I am working with writer Paul Davis on a childrens’ book for kids about a love story, “Chanel and Milo”. It is inspired by the very real love displayed by my dog, Chanel and her great friend, Milo. It’s a very new experience for me, very challenging and I am enjoying the journey.
My first foray as an actress/producer had been a small role as a Cartel boss in the award-winning MMAD (see below) film, ‘Cult Cartel’. I very much enjoyed the experience and was looking forward to more opportunities when Covid-19 struck. As my husband and I and much of the world found ourselves behind doors, I became involved in another project that I would go on to produce. It was ‘Before Sunrise’. It was shot at my house in Texas and directed remotely from Brazil. Because of the restrictions I couldn’t get any other actresses, so I ended up playing all five parts myself which was quite an experience!
After that, I really felt I knew what I wanted to do.
My next work was my screenwriting debut, LEAVES (2021), which I also appeared in. It was a mesmerizing environmental-awareness short film that showcases issues with climate change, global warming, wildfires and deforestation. The movie chronicles the story of an academic-minded woman, discovering an epiphanic connection between herself and an ailing massive red oak tree in her backyard.
Threaded through the narrative are ties between the infirm tree, the out-of-control west coast forest fires, and our disappearing rainforests. LEAVES marked the beginning for me of a purposeful time, where my humanitarian interests intersected with my artistic pursuits.
The inspiration behind LEAVES came from my desire to create projects that send a positive note to the world,
and in turn, make a difference. My goal with the film is to plant an important message to enact social change and responsibility, therefore inspiring and making a difference for our planet’s future.
Apart from my own films, I am also fortunate enough to be involved with more than a dozen major philanthropic projects, one of which is MoviesMakingADifference.org. It’s a 501c3 that creates feature films highlighting social issues and gives back to the communities and survivors profiled.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Courage, determination and support from my family and friends.
My advice for the new folks? Do not be afraid to take risks and to learn as much you can.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My Parents believed in me, gave me freedom to make my dreams come true, they gave me love and support, even until this day. I am still very close with my mother, but my father was my true hero. He passed away much too young, but he left his legacy with me, ” The courage to love life for both its’ rich rewards and challenging struggles. ”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juliarosengren.com
- Instagram: @julialrosengren
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jlr0202
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rosengren-b683862a1
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZlKWmOp7k&t=131s
Image Credits
Photographers: Philipp Davis Stephanie Coirnfield Bob Wolfenson : the personal Photo
