story + interview / Koko Ntuen
Few are as colorful as Angelina Dreem. Known for her wild and exotic work and persona she is a staple in the jetset art scene of NY, LA, Miami and abroad. In Bushwick she has formed a commuinty bringing art, fun, education, collaboration, music and holistics to such projects as Bady Actualized and Powrplnt. Powrplnt is the dynamic lab and gallery she founded where users can access software, computers and collaborative experiences. Her newest film La Rubia just premiered at the Good Work Gallery and is a work on art that will leave you chilled.
La Rubia, Un Film De Angelina Dreem is a dreamy, honest and complex portrait of LaPorscha Wynne going through the noises and nuances of every day life. Her emotions range from sad to strong to beautiful and she co-exists with the silence of the film with such poise that its impossible not to watch her and be curious about what she will do next. Wynne is a great muse for the film and she lets you enjoy her silences with her, you can almost feel it in your body. The film could be put in the indie-slasher noir genre ala Harmony Korine, but the way Angelina guides the movie gives it a bit more depth and delicacy. The soundtrack by Madden adds a perfect energy, the music and sounds that creep along the whole film are haunting and magical until you are surprised with an engergic boost that gives you just the right about of hope.
We chatted with Angelina about Tijuana, her collaborators in La Rubia, what she is reading and more below!
How did you end up in Tijuana?
Laporscha moved down their with her boyfriend. I had been in town for the Club Yes party at the standard. I had never been to Tijuana and it sounded very outlaw to me.
How did you meet the main character LaPorscha Wynne?
She is a person I that I met during one of my escape from New York stints a few years ago, we connected immediately and hung out for like three days in a row. I ended up crashing on an air mattress in her studio apartment in koreatown for a while.
Where is LaPorscha Wynne now?
She is in between Tijuana and Los Angeles, she’s a model and performer. She makes art but wouldn’t call herself an artist, she is definitely my muse.
MADDEN’s soundtrack is incredible. Did you guys work together to create the sound? Or did he watch film and go off his instinct?
I knew I wanted to work with MADDEN from the start. His work is very versatile and always a little twisted and complex, like himself. I asked him to watch the film and send me some ideas, his first draft only needed a little tweeking, it was haunting from the beginning, sampling Phillip Glass but adding the electronic beats to it.
Did you plan the film or did the idea rise from your travels?
I knew I was going to shoot when I headed down, but didn’t know what to expect. I Actually fucked up and only brought an 8MB memory card and no computer to dump the footage on so I had to shoot and edit in camera. It was really frustrating because there were more shots I wanted to keep but had to delete.
I love the white outfit from the roller skating scenes. Can you tell us more about this outfit?
The skirt I had made for a Versace party and the other items were LaPorscha’s. She is always very monotone, she had a silver phase for a whole and all white, and all red. She has a very strong presence, and to see her roll around Tijuana was amazing. Tijuana is very mixed, there are a lot of Mexicans but also Japanese and expats as well. We got a lot of stares.
What was going on off camera?
What was happening on camera is what was happening. She surprised me with the trip to the beach right when I got there because she didn’t have running water in her apartment, she was like “libra needs some luxury”. I think she also needed a break too, her boyfriend and her were fighting, and she needed some distance. I think she was very isolated at that time and dependent on the relationship for everything, which puts a lot of pressure on things, but for someone as independent as her, the film captured that struggle with getting back in touch with herself.
What was the most exciting part about filming and editing?
Definitely filming in the red light district area. From all the rumors that people tell you about Tijuana, I thought for sure someone was going to jump me, or stop LaPorscha or even attack us. But it felt pretty mild, and routine, the only violence inflicted upon the people working the streets. I was very excited when I looked back at the footage and got the shot in one take, that was amazing.
Why do I feel sad yet uplifted after I watch the film? Was it meant to feel so lonely beautiful and haunting?
I think it’s honesty is part of why it goes through the range of emotions. The violence that LaPorsha experiences is an honest extension of the defenses that a woman carries everyday. Around every corner, no matter which town, women are constantly on defense against attacks. I wanted to capture that with the exploration of the red light district and a defiant woman alone in her head among women using their bodies to get by.
What are you doing with powrplnt?
The response seems to be so wonderful! It HAS BEEN AMAZING. Definitely one of my most difficult and challenging and exciting projects. This is the beginning of a dream that I’ve had for a very long time. Powrplnt is a collaboratory space connecting young people with artists and digital art making resources. I hope to take Powrplnt to different locations around the states. I really feel like art and creativity can create a bridge and empower people to express their ideas. Ideas shape our reality which is why it’s so important to encourage young people to trust their instincts and make things their own. I want to create young producers versus the status quo of fattening young consumers
You have been involved with other spaces and projects in bushwick such as body actualized. Do you feel a bigger sense of community since you started powrplnt?
This summer was amazing. I definitely feel like it awoke an energy in New York and in the people that were touched by it, arousing the force in us that wants to give back and make a positive influence on the next generations. It also brought together Bushwick a lot, I got to hook neighborhood kids up with photographers and producers, and now they are all collaborating on projects. The stigma or wall of otherness is lowered, and people are getting to know one another and interact as peers.
What do you have planned next with powrplnt and how can the community get involved?
I have my plans on taking the project to Miami for the winter because I selfishly don’t want to survive another New York winter, but I also think that there are exciting things happening down there, as far as creative spaces goes. The community should grow and extend, I really want to emPOWR people to start their own Powprlnt’s, so I’m putting together a guidebook for that.
What media do you consume? Im reading Neuromancer right now, so its inspiring a sort of media audit. Thinking a lot about what I’m consuming and for how long and why. Dissecting my own psychology of consumption is difficult.
Who do you want to give a shotout to?
I want to shout out Valerie Veatch, who is an amazing young beautiful and talented who just released her second feature length film, LOVE CHILD. Its about a family in Korea that killed their newborn by neglecting it to play online video games. She has been one person that has really supported Powrplnt, and my creative vision since day one. She is amazing. There are too many people that I love to shout out, but I need to say shout out all the protesters in Ferguson because that is the realest conversation that is happening right now.
What are you wearing right now!
Im wearing a black Sean John tall tee inside out.
What digital personaea do you look up to or are you friends with?
BEBE YA-MA is my favorite right now. She is a very interesting personality. I saw her film at a Otion Front screening that I was in and I was blown away, i think we have very similar humors and sensibilities. She is moving to New York soon, so I’m hoping to collaborate.
Would you work with harmony korine?
I prefer not to work with high profile men, to be quite honest. There is too much metaphorical dick that gets thrown in your face, which is cool if its the appropriate time (wink), but usually it causes friction with my feminine vulnerability. But of course, where there is trust, there is magic, so no matter the gender or genderlessness of a person, if I can trust you, we will go far.
