Home : Maya : CATHERINE BENEDEK

MAYA is Catherine Benedek's directorial debut. She has served as associate producer and editor on GIRLINA for HBO; supervising sound editor on BARCELONA, a film by Academy Award-nominated director Whit Stillman; and supervisor of sound design for such other feature films as JUMPIN' AT THE BONEYARD, released by 20th Century Fox. A film and television editor for features, documentaries, and commercials, she has also completed projects for MTV and ABC. A Bronx native, Benedek began her film career in Paris, where she first worked as a fashion photographer and later in sound design at a film studio. Questionnaires were sent to each artist participating in REEL NEW YORK -- Season Four. Below are the artist's written responses.

	Catherine Benedek
	Maya
	What inspired you to make this piece? Having observed the pressures that society places on women to be married by their mid-thirties, I felt inspired to create a story that highlights this issue. MAYA explores a young woman's dilemma to fulfill her mother's desperate plea to find a husband versus her own personal struggle to define herself.  From MAYA. Tell us a little about the process involved in making this work. What I most enjoyed about the filmmaking process in making MAYA was the collaboration involved in working with so many people in order to bring the project to completion. Filmmaking breeds the potential for numerous things to go awry, [so] having the support of talented people around can make or break a film.  From MAYA. Do you have any interesting and/or amusing behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this particular work? The originally planned script for MAYA involved shooting some of the key scenes with an elaborate dance class featuring 30 dancers. Unfortunately, the night before shooting these scenes, the studio canceled. This was devastating, but despite the setback I rewrote many scenes at the last minute in order to salvage the structure of the film. Is there a relationship between your work as a video/filmmaker and life in the New York metropolitan area? Living in New York City has a very direct and positive influence on my work and development as a filmmaker. The creative energy and exposure to diverse artistic expression inspire ideas ranging from music to visual images. How has the burgeoning independent movement affected your life and work as a video/filmmaker? The independent film movement has offered me support and a climate in which I feel inspired to write and develop my own personal ideas. Connecting with other independent artists helps us all thrive and bond so that despite the difficult process, independent films can get made.

Home : Maya : CATHERINE BENEDEK
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