Written by Malin Evita
*This interview has been edited and condensed. Listen to our full conversation on Spotify: Community Highlights Vol. 1 (timestamp: 02.15)
“I just think it’s a really beautiful art.”
— Vic Morel @ViclMorel
Vic Morel is a 17-year-old Media Production student, eighties fanatic, and a rebel who doesn’t give a shit if you don’t think women should be behind the camera. She has been holding a camera in her hands, capturing life and creating stories, for as long as she can remember.
“I used to just love picking up my dad’s camcorder and just filming around the house,” Vic tells me. “When you have a camera, you can make any sort of reality you want. […] I just love it,” she says, “When you’re directing and filmmaking you have the power to make something that hasn’t been made before. I just think it’s a really beautiful art.”
What does film mean to you?
“It’s an escapism. […] Being able to watch, especially things like sci-fi and historical things, just things that take you away from what’s going on.”
What do you see yourself doing in the future?
“My true calling is directing. You know, being able to just take a script and then interpret it in your own way… I think being a director is my favourite thing.”
What are your favourite movies?
- Scream (1996) dir. Wes Craven
- The Lost Boys (1987) dir. Joel Schumacher
- Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) dir. Susan Seidelman
“Obviously, I’m quite an 80s fanatic. ”
How about directors?
- John Hughes
- Hannah Lux Davis
Her Short Film on Mental Health Awareness
“I was quite inspired by this recent final project where we were all asked to make a film on fair representation,” she says. Creating media that can challenge stereotypes around marginalised communities and taboo topics is something Vic finds to be very important, which is why she went on to make STAY—a short film about male suicide prevention, which was selected for presentation at her college’s film festival! “Such an honour. Seeing written and directed by Vic Morel go up felt unearthly! Like a “take that” to my dad who kept reminding me how it’s always cameraMAN not cameraLADY…”
Working on this project, she says, was quite eye-opening to her. Having people reach out to her and thank her for thinking about them and challenging the ‘macho’ attitude society throws at men. “I have a lot of males in my family who have been struggling with mental health, and they’ve always mentioned that they’ve been hit with the phrases ‘man up’ or ‘be a man about it,’” she says, “I just really wanted to make something that shows how men are affected by it as well.”
Watch “Stay” here:
Listen to our full talk with Vic about breaking down stereotypes and 80s movies, now on Spotify.
Do you want to be part of our next Community Highlights volume? Send an email and introduce yourself to us at makingitwomeninfilm@gmail.com. This is open for all women with a passion for film; no credits required!
Written by Malin Evita
Evita is the host and producer of the podcast, Instagram curator, and a writer focused on script, cultural commentary, and film analysis. She is a Vocal grand prize winner and currently studies Professional Writing at college. Through storytelling, she aims to amplify empathy and human connectivity.
Website: malinevita.com | IG: @malinevita
Making It: Women in Film 