We recently connected with Ben Salazar and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I’ve been fascinated my entire life with what’ll be here when I’m gone. From a filmmaking, writing, and personal perspective I want there to be something when I’m gone. I want people to watch my movies, read my work, and experience what I think is interesting. But, after lots of work and self reflecting I realize that if I could just make one person love one of my works. If I make a movie and it’s one persons favorite thing ever, then I could die happy. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy I have to do for myself. I want to feel like I made it, but I also have to let myself make it if that makes sense. I hope I’m remembered as a good filmmaker but also I hope I’m remembered at all. It’d be nice to have my kids, relatives, or friends be proud of me when I’m here and continue to once I’m gone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My names Ben Salazar and I’m a New York based filmmaker. I’m originally from Wisconsin and in the least cliche way as possible, it was filmmaking that chose me more than me choosing it. Movies and writing have always been a dream of mine. I don’t really have an origin there’s just something about the process and the fantasy of making movies and making people feel emotions that I love. And being from Milwaukee, Wisconsin I had strong ties to people like John Hughes and John Landis, so I think my writing in some ways reflects that. A lot of my works include places like Wisconsin and Illinois, but also deal with some more personal issues. I’m a mixed person between about ten different ethnicities, so my movies sort of reflect that lost feeling a lot of young people may feel. Loneliness and isolation, along with a flair of comedy is where I’d put the work I do, category wise. What I want people to really get from my projects is a combination of current and former styles. Like I said I love Chicago based comedies that push boundaries, but also want their to be a little bit more inclusion and creative process. I want to continue a legacy of 70s and 80s filmmaking that hasn’t been kept up, all while bringing it into a new generation.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My whole time moving to New York has been challenging. I went from a small Wisconsin neighborhood where people sparingly move to big cities. My family is not known for being creative in their work. And New York has kicked my ass to let me know it. From moving apartments, one of which with rats in it, to my school trying to kick me out multiple times. It’s been tough from the get go. Basically I had to upend my entire life and start from the beginning. I had to be stupid and learn from people. I had to be that guy from Wisconsin who doesn’t know anything. I needed to make connections in a way I never have before. I had to reinvent myself from a recluse person to a social one. In a sense when I moved from Wisconsin to New York, I left a whole world behind. And it’s been great!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is knowing I’ll never get sick of it. Every job I’ve ever had I get sick of it. The thought of working at a restaurant for the rest of my life makes me wanna vomit. But every time I sit down, I imagine my future. One where I’m writing, filming, just exploring life in an open way, it makes me feel unbelievably safe. My grandpa was an artist and was the happiest person I’ve ever seen. There’s something about those who grow old and do this type of work that just seem so satisfied with life. They’re satisfied because they have a growing entity that will never leave them while they’re conscious. A lot of things go as you get older, creativity in my opinion doesn’t.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjotero/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-otero-b427761aa
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCDw3cigrwTp40Okk89omK9Q

Image Credits
Benjamin Otero Pedro Vierre