I was born and bred in Mexico City. I grew up listening to music, going to concerts and playing drums as a hobby. I had a strong interest to study sound engineering, but for different reasons I ended up studying electric and electronic engineering. After spending six months in Germany doing research for my MEng, I returned to complete my studies and graduate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Then I moved to Leeds, UK, to study a PhD in Chemical Engineering. The process of assimilation and adaptation to such a diverse society brought me closer to different forms of art and self-expression.
I took a couple of courses in London at the Nikon School Centre of Excellence and at Magnum Photos (NGO, Social Practice and Advocacy: How to Use Storytelling for Social Change). My desire for continuous learning and development led me to complete an MA in Film, Photography and Media in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures at the University of Leeds.
During my studies I co-produced the short film Stories of The Heart, which was official selection at Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2021 and North East International Film Festival 2021 as well as Semi-finalist at the Serbest International Film Festival 2021 and Student Los Angeles Film Awards 2022. I was selected to join a Creative Lab and produced a short film exploring ideas of migration, home, identity, memory and place. I also collaborated with a performer to represent the idea of the human body as an extension of urban landscapes and vice versa. The short film was presented at the RUINS|BODIES Symposium, part of the Women on Women (WoW) Project, in Dublin, Ireland (2021). During the Covid-19 pandemic, I worked on an introspective film about the possibility of (not) seeing my family again.
I directed and co-produced the film Dom (Home), which was shot in the UK and Slovenia. Intergenerational verbal and visual conversations explore themes of home, place, memory, and nostalgia, reflecting how these concepts shape our identities and connections across time. Through a dialectic narrative, audiences learn about the life decisions and choices of two women. Deemed as “best practice of documentary filmmaking”, the film was screened to a class and I was invited to the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds to a Q&A session to discuss my documentary approach.
I’ve been commissioned to produce a film for The Cotton Exchange in Blackburn, which was screened at the Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. In the film, The Exchange’s rich historical past is woven together with personal memories recounted by local people. The legacy of the building is juxtaposed with contemporary events hosted in the building. I followed a bottom-up, collaborative approach to capture people’s perspectives about the relevance of The Exchange for the community and their hope for a better future. The film provides strong evidence of how peoples’ ideas and efforts converge to transform The Exchange into a new vibrant hub welcoming everybody.
I’ve collaborated with Blackburn Central Library and a group of artists to produce a short documentary about renowned novelist Dorothy Whipple. I had the privilege of interviewing Dorothy’s niece, Judy; also, Dr Cynthia Johnston from the Institute of English Studies and Nicola Beauman, founder of Persephone Books. Working with archival materials was an amazing experience; I pushed myself to deliver a well balanced, high quality film which was screened during an event to celebrate Dorothy and her connection to Blackburn.
I’m interested in forming multidisciplinary collaborations to develop and co-create new audiovisual projects. I’m keen on supporting organisations and individuals with video storytelling highlighting their achievements and research findings, reaching wider audiences and creating greater impacts. I’m also interested in developing and delivering film and photography workshops to help, educate and empower people of all ages and backgrounds.
Let’s discuss our next collaboration!
Ro Lara || Filmmaker and Videographer 