Meet Deborah Valcin | Storyteller & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deborah Valcin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deborah, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ever since I was a kid, I was always telling stories. I would write stories about heroes saving towns from murderous plants, and make up stories to make my sister laugh on long car rides. Writing was always the best outlet for me to tell those stories and develop them into something larger as I got older. I pursued an artistic career because it was simply the most natural thing in the world to me. Writing turned into scripts and scripts turned into short films. I believe that my passion for storytelling can take any shape, but filmmaking and being part of the world of telling stories visually is the medium that really lets me express my vision to the fullest.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an artist living in a COVID world, it’s been a frustrating journey to keep creating, let alone finishing a project . I still have an incredibly long way to go professionally as a filmmaker, but completing production on a short film about mental health in the Black community was a major accomplishment given the very little resources that I had. Thankfully, I had the help of a grant with the Austin Film Society, and thanks to two incredible producers and a hard-working cast and crew that was willing to adapt to our ever changing schedule (including postponing the project for a whole year), we created something I’m proud of as a storyteller. My goal is to fully do what I love (writing/directing) on more projects and eventually break into the professional industry.

As a filmmaker, I mainly focus on stories surrounding mental health, and the different perspectives of what those journeys look like in the Black community in the US, but also overseas; especially in Haiti. I’ve suffered from having a mental illness, and it always pains me when I realize how little priority people of color are give when it comes to resources, or just having a support system that doesn’t always expect us to be on all the time. It’s especially difficult for Black women to find those moments of rest, and support when dealing with a mental illness.

In countries like Haiti, mental illnesses can often go untreated because of the stigma around talking about them, and dealing with a mental illness causes major irreversible damage to the brain if that’s the case. There is a growing movement to be more open about mental illnesses in the country, and hopefully through art, we can take action to create resources for people of color suffering in often neglected countries like mine.

Surrealism is my forte because I love how there’s no limits to how you can use it to portray the stories of others in a way that people didn’t know they could relate to. I want to be one of the Haitian filmmakers at the forefront of the new Haitian cinema movement. I still have a lot of steps to take, but I believe in myself and I believe in the stories I’m dying to tell.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This actually works because a friend of mine is flying into Texas for the weekend! I’d start with a bang by taking them on a hike to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg for the views. We could even stop by Round Rock donuts on the way back. I’d take them to my favorite arthouse cinema in Texas, AFS Cinema. For a night out, I’d take them to Lin’s Asian Bar + Dim Sum downtown for the best dumplings and scallion pancake curry dip. Then, we’d head over to Cheer Up Charlie’s for some quality drinks and performances! If we had time, we’d also check out the Waller Creek Light Show if it’s up.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As always, my family comes first. I wouldn’t be continuing to pursue filmmaking and telling my own stories without the constant support of my parents whether it’s fundraising advice from my dad, my sister showing up to festivals where my shorts are playing, or just emotional support from my mom as I cry on the phone. Either way, my family constantly encourages me to keep praying and keep learning. And of course my permanent A1’s Maggie, Jan, Tanisha and Kelli who know the right time to hype me up and encourage me.

If it weren’t for my incredible writing critics and lifelong A1’s Nicole and Florian, I’d still be working off of half baked first drafts of literally everything. And I’ll say the same thing for the Texas filmmaking community both in Dallas and in Austin full of incredible people who daily challenge me to learn and grow in my craft so I can be better and execute my vision clearly.

And last but never least, I’d never even have the inspiration to tell stories if it weren’t for my country of Haiti and my fellow Haitians who inspire me every single day. Haitian stories are rarely told, and we’re only just now. bringing our experiences to the big screen with a new generation of filmmakers from all walks of life.

Website: www.catharsisshortfilm.com

Instagram: @deborahvalcin

Image Credits
First four pictures taken by Ursula Rogers