We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Cora. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I grew up in a small town in eastern Venezuela, and my entire life I attended a Catholic school where the school principal was a priest, so religion played a very essential role in my daily life. Anything that was “different” was criticized, and because of these upbringing issues, I found it very difficult to make decisions as a child. It affected me even into my adolescence. As I grew up, I began to realize how vast the world is, how beautiful differences are, how beautiful cultures are, and how important it is to know yourself and make decisions that align with your principles and preferences.

At the age of 20, I moved to Barcelona, Spain, primarily with the idea of continuing the path I was already taking, which was studying Marketing and having a “settled and easy” life. But in this city, many doors opened for me. I met wonderful and talented people, and I completely immersed myself in the world of films. I became obsessed, and since then, everything related to cinematography has given me pleasure, happiness, and discipline. I searched for the best film school (it’s worth mentioning that university costs in Spain are affordable) and applied, without telling my parents yet. After a few days, I was accepted into the university, and one week before classes started, I told my parents that I was no longer going to follow the path they wanted for me, but instead, I decided to take my own path. I informed them about this new film university that I paid for with the money they had given me for the other marketing university.

My parents stopped talking to me for a while because they felt deceived. The truth is, I was very happy with my decision, and the risk was worth it because it helped me discover and truly love who I am today. From that point on, everything started falling into place, and many things in my life began to make sense. Every situation I have experienced, every decision, and my way of seeing life, I was finally able to accept and enjoy them without bad judgment.

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?

I studied cinematography, as I mentioned earlier. It is a risky and quite challenging path. I believe that those who decide to study cinematography don’t do it as an easy choice, but rather out of the love it makes you feel and the desire to tell a story from your own perspective. The biggest project to date was my first independent short film that I shot in Barcelona. It was written and directed by myself and my partner, Gabriel Mata. It was a project that took a lot of time, money, and effort. The short film revolves around a personal experience from my upbringing, combined with fiction and magic. Currently, the film is being screened at many festivals around the world.

I am currently in Miami, USA, and in my daily life, what I do the most is photography for independent brands, writing new scripts/ideas, and immersing myself in films. I have been thinking for a long time about starting my own movie critic channel, so that will probably be my next project.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Self-reflection, this resource has been fundamental in my professional journey. For me, there is nothing more important for creativity than working on self-discovery. The best stories are the ones told from a personal perspective, whether it’s through thoughts, experiences, or emotions. Many times, we may be afraid or unsure of how to delve into our subconscious, and we end up living a life that may feel superficial. However, once you start opening that door, it’s an infinite world where prejudice doesn’t exist, and creativity emerges based on your experiences.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To give “meaning” (even if it only makes sense in my head) to my thoughts, emotions, and actions, and to tell that story that perhaps some other living being somewhere in the world can understand and empathize with. With my first short film, I felt that I released and forgave an important part of my growth, and hopefully, someone among the many who watch it can feel related and also release a part of themselves. It happens to me a lot when I watch movies, certain specific scenes leave a mark on my life and help me understand who I am and empathize with that situation. Even if it’s not the same situation, it’s the feeling behind it that connects me to that scene and somehow helps me “release” something within myself.    

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.andreacora.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aca_kora/