Aïda del Solar, M.A., a Peruvian audiovisual producer based in Paris, France, holds a degree in film and animation from the National School of Dramatic Arts (ENSAD) in Lima, Peru, and a degree in screenwriting from La Fémis in Paris, France. has 20 years of experience training artists in visual storytelling for animation and film and has also worked with directors, studios, cultural institutions, and prestigious schools around the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BUIa9l_NBY
She is currently a coordinator and instructor at Gobelins L'École de L'image (Paris, France) and a creative and art director as well as an instructor at Cnam-Enjmin (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers - École Nationale du Jeu et des Médias Interactifs Numériques; Angoulême, France).
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Aïda, to start off, we’d like to suggest a little game: let’s imagine that, for some reason, you could only watch three movies—of your choice—for the rest of your life. Which ones would you choose, and why?
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Pick three movies for the rest of my life? What torture! I can't do it. I'm not playing along—[laughs]. Otherwise, I'd pick really long ones: Once Upon a Time in America(1984), by Sergio Leone. Hiroshima, mon amour (Hiroshima, My Love, 1959), by Alain Resnais. La jetée (The Pier, 1962), by Chris Marker. But I’ll keep watching all the Miyazakis and Takahatas on the sly. And I think I’d add Your Name (2016), by Makoto Shinkai; Rashōmon (1950), by Akira Kurosawa; Amores Perros (2000), by Alejandro González Iñárritu; Drive My Car, by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi… no, it’s impossible to stick to just three. I have a subscription to mubi.com—I’d cheat every single day!
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What was your main motivation for pursuing a career in audiovisual production and animation, and for dedicating your life to this art form and teaching it?
- I realized this when I discovered that we could live many more lives through our stories and movies, and that they would outlive us.
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What do you think were the biggest challenges you faced in advancing your career?
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The biggest challenge is that we think we have all the time in the world. But we don't.
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Aïda, you have extensive international experience in the audiovisual industry. How do you view the current state of production and animation in Latin America compared to the rest of the world?
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Latin America is taking off! Just look at Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile… buckle up and let’s go!
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What do you consider to be the strengths of the region's audiovisual production?
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Our strength lies in our stories, in the way we see the world as something surreal, in the split we have created to preserve our essence. That blend…
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And, in that regard, what role do you think professional training programs in animation and audiovisual production—such as those offered by Universidad ORT Uruguay, which are unique in the region—play?
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It encourages you to bring that dream to life, which requires tenacity and more work than the creative process itself creativity. The perseverance of a madman, the calculation of a banker…
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What are your thoughts on the future of animation and audiovisual media, particularly in relation to alternate realities and metaverses?
- Animated film, in and of itself, is already an alternate reality. And so are dreams, aren't they? The metaverse will offer new ways to “intervene” in history, space, and time. It will be useful; it will develop a philosophy based on simulations. I also think it will be fun—a proactive journey. A fantastic tool for learning. And, suddenly, for better appreciating our own reality—[laughter].
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The measures that had to be taken to curb COVID-19 have reinforced hyperconnectivity and hyperglobalization around the world. What are your thoughts on the possibilities and opportunities that digital transformation offers for audiovisual production and animation, especially in the wake of the pandemic?
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The pandemic has made it possible to connect from anywhere, yet we remain confined within that rectangle that is the screen, devoid of smell and taste. It’s so wonderful to travel and interact with colleagues and friends. Technically speaking, a globalized production is great. But from a human perspective, there’s more to us than just a rectangle on a screen. The ideal is to alternate between the two.
We make animated films for people. People who are looking for a different perspective—a story with a unique visual, auditory, and intellectual experience—so that they can then “come back to themselves” feeling that they’ve captured an emotion, a lesson, or an intense journey… for all our senses.
We're lucky… Even if it's an unimaginable job.
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