Today we’d like to introduce you to Yasmin Lee
Yasmin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
PROLOGUE: In 2017, Lil Wayne once said the dopest thing that changed my perspective forever. He said, “Be something more than what you see in the mirror. Let the world be your mirror. Don’t let ‘em judge you because the mirror can’t judge you. You judge what you see in the mirror.”
I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. I like to say I’m the Midwest mouth who lives in the South. This microphase summarizes my ability never to fit in anywhere. As a result, I’ve made my home my heart. From my heart, I have many stories to tell. Writing was my first love, and my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Duggan, nurtured this love. She encouraged me to write the stories I created with my dolls and toys. From that young age, I became enthralled by books, Pan-African history, pop culture, and identity. My interests conjured up characters and worlds—I would jot them down and rewrite and rewrite. Once I became a teenager, I realized the responsibility we carry as storytellers. As a result of this revelation, I became a screenwriter and film director.
I’ve made some short films that I love and some that make me cringe. Through it all, I learned how to tune my voice through visual storytelling. I fell in love with the craft of filmmaking and then discovered that I’m also an interdisciplinary artist. I did not consider myself an artist until I was in college, around 2019. At that time, I started to develop an affinity for mirrors.
Suddenly, mirrors and reflections became present in my films and art. The illusions of appearances, reflections, and shadows, as well as the isolation we experience when we see ourselves in a mirror, have shaped my perspective as a creative. My creative process is driven by intuition, generational memory, and lived experiences. In my work, I invite vulnerability and humanity into the scene.
Today, I’m a Wofford alum, writer-director, and interdisciplinary artist. I have exhibited my work extensively in group and solo exhibitions in South Carolina. My work has been screened at various film festivals and galleries. In the summer of 2023, I completed Yale’s Summer Session Drama Program for stage direction. The following summer, I released my latest short film, Girl Talks to God (2024). Since its release, Girl Talks to God has been an official selection in two film festivals and three private screenings. In November 2024, I won “Best South Carolina Filmmaker” at the South Carolina Underground Film Festival.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
MIDPOINT: Donda West told her son, “The giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing.”
As Black women and fems, we are often boxed in and encouraged to live in someone else’s image. We are expected to learn our place in the world and deny our voices or use our voices and be denied visibility.
Besides dealing with systemic obstacles, I have struggled with a need for validation. During a phase in my early career, I felt alone and invisible. I felt like everything I said wasn’t enough, and people were pulling me in different directions because of their ideas about my success.
At my lowest, I heard what Donda West said about giants. The poetic line confused me, so I called my mom to listen to her quote interpretation. As she was talking, I asked if I could record her answer. After she agreed, I pressed record and started visualizing a short film. This low point of my self-belief became my award-winning short film, Giant Momma Talk (2023). I unpack how I relate to being a giant in this short film. Everyone wants to be a giant, but nobody wants to grow. When people want to be a giant, they might not grow at the same rate as you. Some people don’t like giants because they’re intimidated by their greatness. It doesn’t matter if the giant will carry them over broken bridges. Mirror-sized people get afraid that a giant might crush their villages… or their egos. My answer is an allegory of my experience, but I hope it made you realize that you’re a giant worthy of taking up space. As a giant, people will shoot arrows at you, so master the art of catching the arrow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
CODA: It is our minds that create this world. What kind of world are you living in?
As a writer-director and interdisciplinary artist, I focus on a practice centered on examining the viewer’s relationship to the intended performance of a subject. My process entails investigating immediate ideologies surrounding intersectionality and self-presentation. This marriage between seen and unseen identities enters a space where the central figures interrogate mass perceptions as a display of freedom and sincerity. All of this is to say my work is known for its vibrance. The colors and referential figures I include tend to feel like an ode to nostalgia; this sets my work apart.
In my films and art, I’m most proud of those who have created everything that inspires me. Images, sculptures, and smiles all gesture to someone, marking something as a marker of their existence. I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of this long history of makers and purists.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you’re passionate about supporting independent filmmaking and want to participate in future programming for the artist collective I’m part of, don’t hesitate to contact me via Instagram at snowycactusent or write a direct message to the multi-media collective on Instagram at studio22x2.
I’m very excited to work with more local filmmakers and creatives! I’m currently crowdfunding and in pre-production for my next short film, Spirits Talk—One year after the loss of her adoptive mother, Aya’s reality and memories begin to blur as she restores the connections she rejected.
Your contribution will make a real difference in bringing my next short film to life. Let’s be a team 🤟🏽
Pricing:
- Key PA Day Rate 350/day
- Art Director Rate 50 kit fee+30/hour
- Art Department PA 350/day
- Producer – Varying Rates
- Screenwriting and/or Directing – Varying Rates
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yasminmp4.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snowycactus.ent/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-lee-snowycactusent/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yasminthewriter
