ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
In frame World-travelling cinematographer Elisa Iannacone – one of four Stories in Motion judges – shares the impetus behind her creative agency Reframe House N ot many people get to travel the world – especially while working full-time. Elisa Iannacone,
more imaginary space. Since I grew up in Mexico, I think colour and magical realism were just a part of my upbringing.” Iannacone was inspired and began to develop ideas which ‘involved the imagination in telling non-fiction stories’. Her book and exhibition The Spiral of Containment: Rape’s Aftermath , which appeared in London’s Oxo Tower, included individual stories from 25 survivors. Iannacone shot the project in the UK, South Africa, Mexico, Canada and Italy, using multimedia to explore the psychological impacts of sexual violence. This work, mixed with observations while abroad, brought one question to mind: “How do you tell a story that’s factual, but express it through imaginary images to reconnect with audiences and develop empathy, instead of creating this compassion fatigue?” Reframe House’s mission is to find the answer. “I founded [the] agency to reframe views on social issues through multimedia and art,” says Iannacone. While she still shoots features, shorts and documentaries, “my favourite thing to do is an exhibition – expressing trauma through the realm of the imagination.” I FOUNDED MY AGENCY TO reframe views on social issues ”
originally from Mexico and now living in London, made sure she did just that. After graduating from film school in Toronto, her first gig was to shoot a feature documentary in Ghana, Morocco, Germany and France. “That was probably one of the hardest trips of my life – many lessons learnt,” she laughs. Since then, Iannacone’s been around the globe with an estimated 73 countries ticked off her list, “most of them for the purpose of either shooting or doing some kind of filming, photography or journalistic report,” she states. “All I cared about in life was to shoot and travel, and I started becoming known for that.” Back in Canada, Iannacone temporarily worked in a broadcast studio. “I kind of hated it,” she admits. “I hated that I was confined. I just wanted to see the world.” This realisation led her to a masters in conflict reporting for TV production. While on assignment in the Middle East, “I got shot at enough times, lost enough people and thought, ‘I don’t know if this is going to give me space for a personal life’.” Finding truth in fantasy After returning from the Middle East, Iannacone experienced a traumatic event. “I stopped shooting for about a year, ended up doing art therapy and discovered that it really worked for me – and that there were many ways to tell stories without words,” she shares. “A lot of images that come to your mind after trauma are not related to the details and the intricacies of that trauma, but to a
76
DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
Powered by FlippingBook