We were lucky to catch up with Krista Barzso recently and have shared our conversation below.

Krista, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

During the pandemic I embarked on a journey to write and produce my first short film. It started as a simple plan to make a very quick, easy, and funny story. When I sat down to write it though, I realized that I had a more important story to tell. “Persistence” was born from my need to talk about my experience with stalkers, and how much damage someone can do to your life without breaking any laws.

Before I made the film, this was something that I hadn’t spoken about to very many people in my life. I always kept it a secret because I was ashamed, but I have realized that it is in no way a judgement on me as a person and my silence was only continuing to support this kind of behaviour in our society.

Creating this film was so meaningful to me because it allowed me to grow in so many ways. Professionally, I wrote and won awards for my first screenplay, I got to produce and win awards for my first film, I got to organize and run my first set, and star in a movie that means a lot to me. Personally, I got to tell my story which was not only cathartic in itself, but has started some wonderful and powerful conversations with others who have gone through something similar.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started in this industry as an actor, and that is still a main passion of mine; both on the stage and on the screen. I love bringing unique characters to life. My favorite roles to play are the hero of your nightmares or the villain of your dreams.

Since the beginning of the pandemic I have also explored various roles behind the camera. This has been a wonderful exploration for me in learning to leverage my other skill sets to tell stories in different ways. This has uncovered some new passions in the form of producing and screenwriting.

As I mentioned above, I have training in acting for stage and screen, but what many people don’t know is that I also have a Bachelor of Science with a joint major in Business. Most people laugh when they find that out because it is such a strange combination. But the reality of being in show business is that it is just that, a business. Anyone who hopes to succeed in this industry in any capacity, will need to possess some level of business savvy in addition to their creativity.

I am very tenacious and don’t give up easily. I have found that my diverse background often gives me some unique perspectives for tackling problems.

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

When your work touches someone’s soul.

We as people are all looking for connection, but it can be difficult to fully understand another point of view if we haven’t lived it. We also tend to convince ourselves that the pain we are feeling in our own lives is something that no one else will understand, and is therefore a burden that we must shoulder alone.

Taking an audience on a ride through your story, can help people understand a different perspective or realise that other people can relate to their situation.

This art form requires that creatives put their vulnerabilities on display, which can be terrifying. But when someone comes up to you after watching your work and tells you that it changed or opened their mind, it is all worth it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That big girls don’t cry.

I grew up with the mantra that we should never show our tears/vulnerabilities because people would perceive it as weakness.

As I have grown through my career though, I have instead learned that the strongest bonds and relationships that I have built are actually with the people who have seen me at my lowest; or who were maybe down in the dirt with me struggling with the same things.

The truth is that someone who has never fallen down is not strong, they are lucky. They are also usually the first to crumble when the going gets tough. But someone who has been knocked down, had the wind knocked out of their sails and got back up every time, is the person you can count on to put in the work when it’s needed.

Strong adults cry because they care and stuff matters to them and it hurts when it doesn’t go right. Then they pick themselves up, shake it off and keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kristabarzso.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristabarzso/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristabarzsoofficial
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristabarzso Website for my short film Persistence: https://www.persistenceshortfilm.com