Photographer Denisse Ariana Perez unveils her latest project, a short film that sees her embark on an exploration of grief and healing. Her debut film, Catarsis Fragmentada, follows Ricard, a queer teenager who has just lost his mother to Covid. Reminiscent of her photography work, Catarsis Fragmentada focuses on nature and the human form—an effortless translation of her visual style into a new medium.

Perez felt called to make this film when Ricard revealed that since the death of his mother, he had not been able to cry. She took on various roles while filming, such as becoming a facilitator of Richard's healing ritual. Like a spiritual guide, she held his hand through the grieving process.

In this intimate and humbling project, Perez combines two important elements in her life, photography and ceremony, to create a space where Ricard can bare his soul by means of catharsis; an experience that is also available to the viewer if they are brave enough to accept it.

Words and interview by Olaoluwapo Adediji. Read on to discover more about Denisse Ariana Perez's documentary film.  

How did documenting grief impact you?

In the past, I have created intimate spaces for people to release their pain or grief, but I never had a camera in these spaces and ceremonies. It is an enormous responsibility to support someone when they bare their soul in front of you. It takes a lot of care and empathy. I literally had to hold my camera with one hand and hold Ricard's hand with the other at one point. I was moved, deeply. I cried as he cried in the process. But we also laughed and found a lot of light by doing this. This is by far the most emotional I have ever felt while shooting.

What is it about Ricard's story that drew you to make your first film?

When I first met Ricard, I originally intended to photograph him together with his mother. At the time, I was working on a project exploring the complex relationship between mothers and their adult children. When his mother passed away unexpectedly, the only thing I wanted to offer him was some form of emotional release and a way to pay tribute to his mother, who I had just met some months before. My offer to him was a cathartic process, but then I also wanted him to have some physical evidence of that process, in the shape of images, so he could look back on it. However, still photographs felt too limiting for this project, too fragmented, too silent to document a cathartic process, so that is when I decided that it had to be moving images instead.

How did you navigate being both facilitator and observer of Ricard’s grief?

It was a completely new experience for me. I had to be more present than I ever have been. My main priority was to be a good facilitator before being a good photographer. I always say that for me the process is the most important thing, not the final images and this was no exception. Having someone else doing the recording definitely helped me focus on being a facilitator in the moments when I was not shooting still images. I was very careful in choosing who I wanted to film this, who I wanted to invite into this very intimate space. I made sure it was someone I trusted on an emotional and technical level and who was filled with empathy and could respect when to walk away and let me facilitate and when to intervene. Aleix was a perfect ally to have for this.

How easy was it to transition from photography to film?

To be honest, I always found film rather intimidating, maybe because I respect it too much. But then I realized that in many ways am I am already used to directing and crafting stories, both when I am shooting photography and also as a copywriter when I write scripts (many people only know me as a photographer but my career started as a creative copywriter and I still work as a freelance copywriter as well as a photographer). Mixing these skills I already possess made me realize that jumping into a directorial role would be somewhat of a natural evolution for me. Another thing I had to get used to was that there are so many different elements to consider in film, such as sound, transitions and typography. It truly is a team effort and in photography, I have mostly worked by myself.

Is there anything you adopted from your photography practice into filmmaking?

When I photograph I am drawn to the "in-between moments," the subtleties between movements and actions, the breathing spaces. I think this can definitely be perceived in my approach to filmmaking as well. I create an environment or a state and then I photograph it. In filmmaking, I also create an environment and then I leave the camera to patiently capture its unraveling. The camera remains still, observing, while something slowly unfolds naturally, at its own pace. There is no rushing. In photography, I am also drawn to zooming in, getting very close to details, and that is something I definitely have continued to do in filmmaking.