Little Lion Film Fatale

Image by Edward Cunningham

EMMA PARLA-AZIZ IS A FILM PHOTOGRAPHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR THAT CURRENTLY RESIDES IN MASSACHUSETTS AND IS AV.

THEY STUDIED TV/MEDIA & FILM PRODUCTION, AS WELL AS THEATRE ARTS AT NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL . AFTER GRADUATING IN 2015, EMMA WENT ON TO STUDY COSMETOLOGY AT LOWELL ACADEMY HAIRSTYLING INSTITUTE AND GRADUATED WITH THEIR LICENSE IN 2017. WANTING TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, EMMA HAS TAKEN MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS WITH MAINE MEDIA COLLEGE OVER THE YEARS AS WELL AS A FEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS THROUGH PH MUSEUM.

BEING A FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN WITH FAMILY IMMIGRATING FROM AFRICA AND EUROPE, AS WELL AS BEING AN OPENLY QUEER PERSON, GIVES EMMA A DIVERSE AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE WHEN APPROACHING THEIR ART.

FOR CENTURIES, DATING BACK EVEN BEFORE WRITTEN WORD, HUMANS HAVE TOLD AWE INSPIRING STORIES OF POWERFUL BEINGS, NATURE PERSONIFIED. EMMA HAS ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR STORYTELLING, WANTING TO CREATE WORLDS FROM SCRATCH AND EVOKE EMOTION FROM THE AUDIENCE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY MYTHOLOGY, FAIRY TALES, SPIRITUALITY/RELIGIONS, AND NATURE, WHILE EXPLORING THEMES SUCH AS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, BODY POSITIVITY, AND QUEER LOVE, EMMA CREATES VISUAL STORIES THAT CAN OFTEN FEEL LIKE DREAMS OR STRANGE MEMORIES BY USING EXPERIMENTAL FILM AS THEIR MAIN MEDIUM.