‘From life’ is in response to a film of the same title about losing the sense of life reaching middle age as a woman and being reborn through creativity. It’s inspired by Julia Margaret Cameron, one of the greatest pictorial photographer of the 19th century, who started her career at 48 years old and created around 900 photographers in 12 years. Her life becomes a parallel story told through filmmaking and my photographic eyes as inspired by her, in my 48th year, in the 21st century, woven like separate strand of hair into one plait.
Photographer, filmmaker, and actress, Mela Hilleard was born as Elżbieta Piekacz in Poland. She immigrated to England to study filmmaking, graduating from the London Film School. Her graduation film, ‘At Dawn the Flowers Open the Gate of Paradise’, premiered at the EIFF and received award for Best Experimental Film and Best Director. Her independent documentary ‘HOME’, premiered at the KPFF at London’s ICA, winning Best Feature Film. She is currently developing ‘From life’, a film inspired by Julia Margaret Cameron, following her recent exhibition at the Dimbola Museum on the Isle of Wight.
