INTERVIEW FOURTY-THREE: VICTORIA

We spoke to the artistic and bright Victoria about several parts of current pop culture including music, actors, Marvel as well as her newfound passion for coding. She discussed her excitement for the growing amount of diversity and representation within the coding and entertainment fields and her longtime love for cinematography.

Question 1: Thanks for reaching out, Victoria! Your passions include art, music, coding, the Marvel cinematic universe and several figures in the acting industry. In terms of music, who are your favorite artists and how has their work influenced or helped you? 

I’m currently obsessed with older bands like Joy Division, Fleetwood Mac, and my favorite, the Smiths. I listen to music for everything. While I’m getting ready, showering, at school, doing my work, or just hanging out. I also love going to concerts. In May 2019, I saw Wallows perform live and it was super fun. Cole even threw me his drumstick and I caught it! I’m seeing them again in June this year so I can’t wait for that. I also saw Harry Styles in October 2021 and that was also a surreal experience.

Question 2: What interested you in coding? Are you passionate about more representation within this field?

Before moving to America, my dad was one of the lead coders at a company he worked at in Brazil. His knowledge in computer science inspires me that I can do the same, and learn even more. I want to be able to create whatever I want. Learning code at this day and age is extremely relevant. I believe in the future, everyone will learn how to code. It’s the language of the future, and it’s what will help us evolve technologically as a society. As a woman of color, it is extremely important to me to promote diversity within STEM. The tech industry, specifically, is significantly dominated by white and asian men, but I want that to change. The growing statistics of women and people of color in this field is exciting, so I cannot wait to see what the tech industry will look like in a decade or so.

Question 3: Some of the actors you admire include Timothée Chalamet, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence. What drew you to them and are there any movies of theirs you’d like to recommend?

LaLaLand by Damien Chazelle is the film that got me into cinematography when I was in seventh grade. I vividly remember my sister and I sneaking into a theater that was playing it while we waited for our movie to play. In a mere fifteen minutes, the film drew me in. The different camera shots, use of color, passion, romance, and the emotional ending is genius on Chazelle’s end. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone also had undeniable chemistry, which is why I love them as actors. I’d recommend any of Damien Chazelle’s works. Furthermore, a huge obsession of mine was once the X-Men movies. My favorites of that series are definitely X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of the Future Past, which Jennifer Lawrence is in, playing Mystique. Those films have a special place in my heart, and I’d recommend them to anyone, simply based on the sheer charisma and charm that the director, Matthew Vaughn, communicates to the audience. 

Question 4: As you are a keen Marvel fan, what sort of impact have the storylines and characters had on you? Why might people form such strong connections with them?

From X-Men, to the Avengers, I have always been obsessed with Marvel movies. When I was 3, I would watch the Iron Man movies with my dad, and when the first Avengers movie came out, I saw it when I was 7 years old in theaters multiple times with my sister. What distincts Marvel from the rest is its diversity and willingness to show characters’ vulnerabilities. In the D.C. universe, you see characters who are Gods, forced to live normal lives. In the Marvel universe, you see regular people try to be heroes, and you see the repercussions of these attempts, witnessing the character’s growth. People can easily form strong connections with these characters, because these characters can be minorities, like people of color or disabled people. It’s inspirational and makes for great storytelling. 
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Question 5: Was there anything else you’d like to share? Thank you for engaging with our organization! 

Nope! Thank you for the opportunity.

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