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Sonia Women In Film

Inspiration In Nature

Walking with Sonia Bhalla

A first generation South Asian film and television director, Sonia Bhalla has worked in the industry for over 20 years. She has been a DGA Assistant Director with the best of the best, from Ron Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, Paul Thomas Anderson and Jason Reitman. Now she's working on her own material which she is writing, directing and producing. We joined her for a walk in Santa Monica to see what inspires her as a filmmaker.

Sonia's walk begins on California and Ocean Blvd in Santa Monica's Palisades Park - Music by Liesa Norman

Look out over the ocean,
Find how life plays with light and color,
The bloom and withering of the flowers.

Being in nature allows to you listen.
To absorb. To clear. To ground. To focus.
Listen with your heart, your eyes, your touch.
Tap a totem and make a wish.

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Contributors

Krystal Chang

Krystal Chang is a writer, architect, floral and landscape designer. She lives and works in Santa Monica, over the hill from where she grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She is excited to see The Farewell, a dramedy starring Awkwafina by writer-director Lulu Wang—it was a surprise hit at Sundance that was just picked up by A24 for a summer release in theaters.

amandawif

Amanda Quinn Olivar
Curator west coast editor
Paint Made Flesh play
Seeing is Believing: Women Direct doc The Chimaera Project nonprofit

(Photo - Annie Terrazzo's portrait of Amanda "Things Are Going To Be Different")

Thank you to Brian Goldberg (Worldwide Production Agency), Jeff Holland (Cartel Management), Audrey Knox (Cartel Management), Aaron Brown (Avalon Entertainment), Nick Copus, Laura Kim, Triana Cristobal, Alex Gallind, Bijou Karman, Steve Rand, America Young, Liesa Norman, and Nick Noble.