Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Ericka Epstein.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I remember exactly when my life as a filmmaker changed. It was when my tough, thrifty, Jewish grandmother from Brooklyn, turned to me and said ‘Look, you could either inherit a bit after I die, or I can spend it now and get you a camera. Having “the means of production” changed everything.
For many years I’ve been fascinated by cultural perceptions of beauty and have been using filmmaking as a way to explore this… a lot. Growing up in Boston, I moved to Mozambique for two years, where full-figured looks were often celebrated — and when I moved back to the US as a pre-teen, I was pretty confused about what was going on. Most of my American friends seemed obsessed with being skinny and pasted magazine cut-outs above their mirrors. So, I embarked on a journey to try to understand why. After going to college at UC Santa Cruz I moved to Brooklyn — where I lived for 20 years — and became a documentary filmmaker. Exploring physical perfection, I created the Body Typed series — Wet Dreams and False Images, The Guarantee, 34x25x36. Right now I’ve been teaming up with another “Documama” to produce short docs here in Jamaica Plain.
Please tell us about your art.
What I love about short films is you can get in there, raise some questions, tell a little story and get out, leaving it all open for discussion. My films are meant to explore, ask questions, and start conversations. As a director, I am not interested in telling people that it is wrong to try to look beautiful, or to strive to be fit. But, I do mean to uncover how advertising is creating impossible standards, which no one is able to live up to in real life, expectations that if held onto, can prevent us from being truly happy in the bodies we live in. My goal is to expose the “man behind the curtain” or the artists behind the industry and to better understand how notions of perfection are constructed. But what happens when we meet the “man behind the curtain?” It’s easy to point fingers, but I believe this is a more complicated debate. We are all people doing this. Anthropologically, I wonder why are we creating perfect images of ourselves?
In addition to my project around perfection I’m also really excited about a new project on Mosquitoes that has to do with my dad’s work around climate change. And also, a new VR project on Bethlehem Steel and its transformation into a casino. In general, my goal is to try to prove that documentary films can be funny and entertaining. I also love working with youth — and am currently the Z-Tech Video Coordinator and instructor at Zumix in East Boston.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
In the era of #MeToo I’m really hopeful about the power of a group called Film Fatales — and started a local chapter here in Boston. We have monthly diner parties — and the goal is to create an “old girls network” and support each other in our filmmaking in pretty profound ways. This group of women has been incredible to be part of and I think this kind of banding together is vital given where we are right now with the film industry.
In addition, I strongly believe that we need the arts to examine what’s going on in society – underrepresented stories need to be told and heard. For many reasons, I’ve been an active member of the filmmaker owned & operated distribution coop New Day Films. It’s a functioning democracy that’s been going strong for 47 years and we need more examples of functioning democracies! Filmmakers unite!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’m a proud member-owner in the New Day Films filmmaker distribution coop and you can order DVD’s or stream the films here:
https://www.newday.com/film/body-typed-3-films-media-physical-perfection
They can also be streamed on Kanopy:
https://www.kanopy.com/product/body-typed-series-media-illusions-perfect-
Here’s the BODY TYPED interactive website with a free photo-retouching video game:
www.JesseDocs.com
I’m grateful to be heading out to a family residency program at Marble House Project and there’s info up at:
http://www.marblehouseproject.org.
Contact Info:
- Address: JesseDocs, LLC (Part of 42 North Media Office) 284 Amory Street, Suite 111
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 - Website: www.JesseDocs.com
- Phone: 917-723-2605
- Email: Jesse@bodytypedfilmproject.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessedocs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessedocs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessedocs
- Other: https://spark.adobe.com/page/k4gqWtjKqDwjF/
Image Credit:
Andrea Rollefson
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