We were lucky to catch up with Rippin Sindher recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rippin, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Growing up in the small farm town of Selma meant having to think outside of the box from a young age and be integrated in my community. I was raised by hard-working immigrant parents and they set the standard for discipline and tenacity, which are the backbone of confidence. The ability to never give up despite limited resources ultimatley elevated me into spaces of creativity and free thought. Much of that is contributed to my late mother who lived boldly. My father was equal in supporting my curiosity to learn, desire to step beyond cultural boundaries as a Punjabi woman, and he encouraged my pursuit of hobbies like art, theatre, choir, journalism and leadership. This created a pathway for constant growth and new experiences like being the first South Asian ASB president of my high school, representing Central California at youth conferences statewide and earning the title of Fresno Bee All-Star. These milestones became opportunities to share who I was with the world without shying away from sharing my culture or specific POV.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a multi-hyphenated Punjabi-American filmmaker who has written, directed and produced award-winning content rooted in social impact and across mediums including documentaries, commercials, narrative films and TV. My background in sociology from UCLA combined with my love for stories is what fuels my passion for cinema and drives me to share narratives from underrepresented communities and true stories that face erasure, like my latest film “Flight 182” about the largest aviation attack prior to 9/11. I feel a deep responsibility as a filmmaker and co-founder of Sindherella Co to bring innovative approaches to story, promote culture-forward work and build community with my brother Gurinder Sindher who is an actor/producer and co-founder of our company. That means bending genres in my work and delving into themes of identity, race, womanhood and defying stereotypes. Most recently, I was a directing fellow on Criminal Minds Evolution for Paramount+ and previously, part of Ryan Murphy’s HALF initiative on the Netflix show “Ratched.” Among my body of work are films: “The Hideout,” “Broken Drawer,” “Zone” about redlining in Fresno and “Seva,” an anti-hate film about Sikhs in America (which earned Congressional recognition). In 2023, I won Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge with CAPE and Janet Yang Productions for “Flight 182,” starring Sundeep Morrison and next up, I’ll be directing “Pyar aur Coffee” for the Long Beach Shakespeare Company.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most important qualities that have impacted my journey are resilience, positivity and vulnerability. There is so much in life that is unpredictable, whether it be personal setbacks, losses, rejections, etc. but the true lessons are always in the bounce back and decision to continue forward. I’ve had many nos in my life and yet I refuse to give up and that level of resilience when faced with hardship really begins to define your stamina as a person and artist. Secondly, optimism is a mindset that feeds true growth and community. When being on film sets and in any creative process, the work is long and requires tenacity, so I find that positivity is my superpower. Nobody wants to be around negative people especially when you’re in the trenches together and it’s a full day of work, which is why optimism becomes a motivator to finding stronger solutions in any given moment. Lastly, vulnerability is key. A lot of people go on in life thinking they know everything or need to know everything or be all the things at once, and there’s actually beauty in saying otherwise. The not knowing and asking for help has allowed me to find incredible mentorship and build with people in ways that elevate the work. I love learning from people who are better than me and in many ways, that ability to stand on my own two feet with confidence and openness offer a pathway to powerful human exchange.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
When I was seventeen, I was faced with one of the biggest challenges in my life: the sudden loss of my mother. Up until that time in my life, she was the physical and emotional example of what it meant to be selfless, strong and have a voice in the world that stepped beyond the cultural boundaries. To lose that instantly meant having to find a way through the pain, regain courage and rebuild myself. Having gone through that tragedy became a pivotal part of my life as it shifted what my future would be or could be and instead became the catalyst for pursuing the arts, especially storytelling. My love for story was truly born out of healing and having an outlet for expression. I contribute who I am to my mother and to every friend, stranger, mentor and teacher who has come into my life to build with me, show me the way when life has been dark and kept my light bright so that I continue to have something to say through filmmaking.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sindherella.com
- Instagram: @rsindher, @sindherella_co, @kaur_creative, @flight182film
Image Credits
CAPE photo credit to Mary Ann Nan Pink Outfit photo (directing) credit to Shane Karns
