We were lucky to catch up with Marie Rouhban recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Probably having a tremendous amount of faith in what you do. No matter what path you decide to embark on, there will be many obstacles, difficulties and even failures. And it’s never easy to hit a wall, take the time to understand what went wrong and figure out the necessary steps to get back up and carry on.

That’s why I believe the most successful people are the stubborn ones, the ones that are focused on their journeys and that will do whatever it takes to overcome any hardship. It’s definitely not easy at first, especially when you’re still learning the ropes and adjusting to the rules of whatever industry you’re in.

But after a while, I believe you build enough confidence and deep belief in your mission, which makes you more resilient to any difficulty that comes your way. That is the key to success in my opinion.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a half French, half Lebanese filmmaker, who moved to L.A. back in 2021 to pursue my life-long dream of becoming a director. I’ve always known I wanted to work in the movie industry but it took me a long time to build the courage to actually embark on that journey. Indeed, my earlier path was a little more traditional: I went to business school back home in Paris and majored in Marketing & Strategy. Throughout my corporate career, I could always feel something was missing and at 28 years old, I decided to set a plan in motion to move to L.A. and give it a shot.

Training-wise, I enrolled in a Directing certificate at UCLA but I think most of my teaching truly came from both watching movies and making them. There’s nothing like learning from the best directors by analyzing the pieces you like and that inspire you. And of course, no better way to improve than by shooting films, making errors and adjusting for your next pieces.

The messages I’m trying to convey in my films are mostly about acceptance of our and other people’s inner darknesses. I am fascinated by the human mind and especially the underlying layers we don’t often show the world. And genre-wise, I like to use elements of horror to deliver them.

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

There’s really nothing like seeing your movie in a big screening room with a live audience. Every laugh, gasp, scream, sigh or sob that radiates from the crowd is the absolute best reward a filmmaker can ask for. Well at least, that’s how I feel about it: I love the idea of gathering strangers in a room and allowing them to feel something together, collectively, without knowing each other or even talking about it.

I also drive a lot of energy from being on set, it’s always been very touching to me to see so many people gathered to make your vision come true. I find it extremely rewarding to engage with so many different talents and trust them with making a simple idea come to life, truly magical!

Any advice for managing a team?

Giving people your trust. And that’s not just for the movie industry but in any job. I truly believe that when people sense they have a responsibility towards a bigger goal, they give a lot more energy and care than if they feel disengaged with the whole project.

Now, that still means you need to be clear about your vision and what you’re trying to achieve but you have to trust others. It’s not easy because most of the time, you’re the one held accountable for the final result but it is essential to have faith in your team members.

And whenever there are conflicting visions or downfalls of morale, communication is key. Saying how you feel, listening and making sure the expectations on both side are understood. At the end of the day, no matter what industry you’re in, the only thing that matters is how people work together so make it a priority to take time to motivate your troops and be clear about where you want to lead the team.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marierouhban.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marie_rouhban/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marierouhban/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarieRouhban

Image Credits
DeWalt Mix, Pierre Escrivant and Peeradon Ariyanukooltorn