We were lucky to catch up with Dante Jigamian recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dante thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have worked on is a short film I wrote and directed titled “Purple Death & Party Hats.” In early 2020, a month before the pandemic, I lost my older brother to an accidental overdose. This loss profoundly shaped my identity and perspective as a storyteller. When in a directing class at school, we were encouraged to write a short drama and somewhere along the way I got the idea to write a story about a young girl dealing with addiction on her 16th birthday. Her addiction is manifested as an imaginary best friend who she ends up OD’ing on and, at the end of the film (spoilers) she dies. This film was one of the many ways I tried to process my loss through creative means. When I wrote the scene where she OD’s, I had to get up from the computer and take a walk just to let it go through me. On set, when directing said scene, emotions were running high, and I’m not afraid to say that I called “Cut” with tears running down my face for every take. This film, through my school’s scholarship review program, rewarded me with a free ride for my final year of school, and was accepted into a few of the film festivals I submitted to. Above all else, the best accomplishment was when someone at one of these festivals who has struggled with substance abuse disorder came up to me and thanked me for creating something that felt honest. That moment will stick with me forever. When making this film, I constantly worried about misrepresenting my brother, and the struggle he went through. So, someone who went through something similar reassuring me that I portrayed it truthfully, meant everything. As a creator, it will always be my goal to represent the scary realities of life with an honest, unapologetic lense.

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 am a writer/director hailing from Seattle, Washington, currently based in Los Angeles. I have experience helping students through their writing as a Writing Center Coach at ArtCenter College of Design, have worked in the marketing division of ArtCenter as a social media assistant, and have experience working on fast-paced, low-budget productions as a Director, 1st Assistant Director, Script Supervisor, and Production Assistant. I take my work seriously, whether it be crafting personal, contemporary stories about relevant issues, or contributing my own ideas in a team setting. I have strong written and verbal communication skills, and I excel in group-based work environments, always looking to uplift others on a team and celebrate diversity of opinions and expression.

What sets me apart from others is my unique voice and perspective on the world. I am not afraid to discuss harsh realities in our society, whether it be the substance abuse epidemic in America, or the current ongoing far-right pull happening in our youth, I will always examine these issues through the lens of a well-crafted story, staying true to my characters and the situations they find themselves in. I am not comfortable simply doing what everyone else is doing. Rather, I try and set myself apart from the crowd both in terms of quality and originality. For me, it’s not about the recognition, or the chance at “making it,” it will always be about the art. If the art is not honest, vulnerable, and the best it can be, then I have not done my job as a storyteller.

Aside from filmmaking, I am also a hip-hop artist. I have one album from the year I lost my brother, all about my experience processing my grief, and have more music on the way. My treatment of music is the same as my films– Honest and vulnerable. I am not about trying to “blow up” or make what’s popular. Rather, I just try to make music that is reflective of who I am as a person and storyteller.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A book that completely altered my perspective on writing/creativity for the better is Stephen King’s memoir “On Writing. The book is split into two sections, one on his personal life, and the other strictly about the craft of writing. The latter mainly helped me with learning how to get over the worries in my head and simply start writing. We cloud ourselves with so much panic that we never end up actually creating. His advice helps dissuade that and shows you how important it is to simply get the words out.

His section on his personal life had an excerpt that will always stick with me. Following the loss of my brother and my parents divorce, I found myself habitually addicted to marijuana. I always wanted to quit and create a healthier relationship with the substance, but that concept felt so scary and far away. In “On Writing,” King writes about his experience with alcoholism and cocaine addiction. One of his books is titled “Cujo,” a book about an evil rabid dog. Though I hadn’t read it, I distinctly remember my older brother having loved that book when I was a kid. The moment in “On Writing” that hit me like a truck was when King said he has absolutely zero memory of even writing “Cujo.” He was too fucked up on drugs and alcohol to even remember the process.

As a creative, the idea of not even remembering the act of creation deeply haunted me. I sobbed when I read that section, and made a promise to myself that I would never let that happen. These days, I am completely sober from marijuana and intend to keep it that way.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

At the end of the day, I just want to be able to live a fulfilling life doing something I love in the arts. Whether it be writing, directing, making music, as long as I can support myself I’ll be happy. I think all of us that moved to LA with dreams of “making it” wish they could be the next famous writer/director, or create the next smash hit that lands comfortably in the zeitgeist. And while I won’t act like I still don’t want that, nor will I not work hard to try and achieve something even slightly close to these big ambitions, ultimately I know what the odds are on a thing like that. I’ve learned a lot in the last 4 years of being in LA, and now all I truly want in this world is to have people close to me that I love and care about, and to contribute to artistic expression. There’s so much corporate “art” being created nowadays. “Content” and AI are threatening the very nature of art. So, to me, being able to maintain my version of honesty and integrity in the world of art while making a living is about the most fulfilling thing I can imagine.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dantesnothere?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dante-jigamian-b9175a301/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DANTESNOTHERE
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1wzq4rbfvdJ20bKfCSpIqp?si=iqoYdRwySWKFjzboovuY0A

Image Credits

Aldo Widjaya
Anderson Ballantyne
Andres Solis