Meet Rafael A. López

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rafael A. López a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rafael A., really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Younger, I dreamt of becoming a comic book artist. The freedom to let one’s imagination run loose, trying to make sense of the world by capturing a story within frames, felt oddly appealing. However, I quickly realized the meticulous nature of the work and the infinite amount of patience it required to finish only one board. Being semi-impatient at this age, I needed a “faster” medium to see stories come to life and instead turned towards short stop-motion animated films using Legos and clay.

Curious by nature, and still hoping to understand the world around, it didn’t take me long to come across existentialist philosophy –where it seemed like others before me had come across the same questionings I was facing. While consuming the work of existentialists writers made my teen-self feel less alone, this turned out to be a double-edged sword; making me question the world around me twice as hard, oftentimes with no answers and finding myself more lost than I had hoped for. It is around this time that a high-school professor oriented me towards writing, where I found a new means of expression. Even if I wasn’t able to answer those questions that kept me up at night, exploring them through short stories brought me a sense of peace.

This practice quickly turned into screenwriting, and eventually evolved into live-action filmmaking. This medium of expression seemed the most appropriate as it connected with my initial artistic aspirations: comic books turned into storyboards, and plastic figurines turned into complex human beings. The desire to keep exploring questions people close to me would rather avoid –and hopefully finding answers– slowly shaped itself into an artistic path.

Today, I am still learning to enjoy the journey rather than the destination. And now, this career path is, to me, synonym with a sense of freedom; the freedom to explore questions about the human condition without a dreadful need for answers.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My approach to filmmaking aims to interrogate the relationship between fiction and realism, by crafting environments where both the characters and actors are free to make one; therefore letting go of the idea of performance. The micro lens of human experience is, to me, an open door to exploring the complexity of flawed political systems and the duality of the human condition. Raised between Switzerland and Venezuela –where most of my family still lives– it has been a struggle to establish a sense of belonging throughout my life. When the political situation in Venezuela became too unstable, I had the immense privilege to permanently call Switzerland “home” yet it never truly felt like it. As a result, the concepts of belonging, identity and grief in their many forms, inspire my work –either it be commissioned or personal projects.

Ultimately, I make sense of my privileges as an opportunity to redefine the visual language of cinema.
With a history of political propaganda, filmmaking is still used today as a societal element to influence one’s perception of the human experience –romanticizing violence and pernicious power dynamics– through not only story but lighting, camera angles, and framing. Heavily influenced by Nina Menkes’ mentoring throughout my time at CalArts, I strive to combat the pre-established patriarchal norms of mainstream visual language by exploring new ways to address difficult conversations while centering humanity over entertainment.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Curiosity and being open to have my views challenged (and changed) has been a constant throughout my journey. I do believe that, as creatives, everything we make or say is inherently political. Therefore critical thinking is a pivotal skill to maintain and continuously sharpen.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always seeking new collaborations and challenges! I like to surround myself with folks who share a similar worldview and who are willing to explore new forms of visual expressions either it be for commercial, experimental or personal projects.
Let’s get in touch!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ralopez.work/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ralopez.work/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/ralopez