“I see filmmaking as the perfect cross-section of all of my deepest passions— writing, acting, art, and fashion. I love the collaborative nature of the medium, and the way it allows me to come into contact with such fascinating people with unique perspectives.”
Homeplace Magazine: Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what do you make?
I’m Katherine Quinn, a New York-based writer, award-winning filmmaker, and avid doll collector (among other things…). My love of filmmaking began in a college cinema class, where I was fortunate enough to have an inspiring female professor who believed in my artistic voice. My mission is to offer a female perspective and uplift other female voices in a medium that is often male-centered. I have a penchant for crafting stories that highlight the nuance and complexity of relationships and identity. I would describe my style as a portrait of the most painfully universal experiences, but if they were happening on a strange, distant planet, or deep within the heart of the ocean. I see filmmaking as the perfect cross-section of all of my deepest passions— writing, acting, art, and fashion. I love the collaborative nature of the medium, and the way it allows me to come into contact with such fascinating people with unique perspectives. Ultimately, I do not seek to make art that changes lives, but instead acts as a vehicle for memory.
Where are you from, and how has your hometown shaped the way you create?
Long Island, New York! People are always going to feel a certain way about the place in which they grew up, whether it be alienation, pride, disdain. For me, growing up on Long Island meant long, late-night drives in Long Beach, where I fell in love for the first time. That experience echoes throughout all of my films, and likely always will.
HPM: If someone wanted to understand your work, where should they start?
Finding the key to their old middle school diary.
HPM: What are you obsessed with right now?
Mixed media! Lately I’ve been trying to stretch the idea of what a film can be, but incorporating drawings, animations, text on screen, and strange sound design. I’ve also been reading a lot of plays, studying the way the dialogue is written. Currently reading “Blood Wedding” by Federico García Lorca, couldn’t be more obsessed.
HPM: Where do your best ideas usually come from?
My dreams, the ocean, encounters with strangers, falling in and out of love over and over and over.
HPM: What’s a creative hill you’ll die on?
I think people are taught that “good writing” means painting a picture of every single tangible detail. I think the best writing withholds, and shines in its restraint.
HPM: What does your camera/sketchbook/notes app look like right now?
Very very blue. Celestial, oceanic, deeply imperfect.
HPM: What do you wish people asked you about your work?
I wish I were asked more about wardrobe! I costume design all my own films, often sewing pieces from scratch. It’s very intentional and I’d love the opportunity to delve into it! I’d also love to be asked my advice to young female filmmakers, because I just want to pass along whatever wisdom I can offer.
HPM: Recommend one film, album, book, exhibition, or artist everyone should experience.
“A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway
Watch and read more about Katherine’s films at https://katherinequinnfilms.squarespace.com/films.