On My Radar: Mary Fix

What's the most creative advertising idea you've seen recently?

As a millennial, my weakness is nostalgia plus choreography, so the Gap Denim ads set to Kelis' Milkshake really got me. It was simple, catchy and made me head to the Gap site immediately.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Instagram for inspiration and connecting with other creatives, Google Maps for basically everything (I plan my entire life through saved pins), and delta.com since I'm always going somewhere.

What's the most recent piece of tech that you've bought?

I finally upgraded my projector, so my living room now feels less like a living room and more like a cinema.

What product could you not live without?

Unfortunately, my iPhone. I live between the UK, Spain and New York, and it's my entire life in one object. Google Maps is my brain. The Blackmagic Camera App lives on there too, which I've used to direct full campaigns for brands such as Clinique. SunSeeker is a real MVP for scheduling around daylight. And then there's my Notes app, which is pure chaos: film ideas, to-do lists, music recommendations, and whatever spiral I'm in that week.

What's the best film you've seen over the last year?

I'm doing a [David] Cronenberg re-education. I avoided his library for a long time since I'm not a fan of horror, but while making my recent short I realised body horror is a genre I actually love. It's been like film school at home, popcorn in one hand, notes app in the other.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Badlands, Raising Arizona, and Death Becomes Her. They're my north stars. Badlands is pure visual poetry. Raising Arizona is chaos, warmth and comedy in one. And Death Becomes Her is camp, body horror and the most human of fears: aging. All three of these films have in common the foundation of a big, wacky idea based in real human concerns and going to extreme lengths to get what they want - love, building a family and aging.

What's your preferred social media platform?

Instagram, hands down. Visual, quick, and global.

What's your favourite TV show?

The Righteous Gemstones. I was late to it, but I love the mix of absurd comedy and sharp ideas, with a real cinematic punch. Danny McBride really hit the nail on the head with this one.

What's your favourite podcast?

IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit, One Song, and Song Exploder. I like hearing people break things apart, whether it's a movie or a three-minute song.

What have you been most inspired by recently?

Dennis Quaid peeling and eating shrimp in The Substance. I did not expect to say that, but it directly shaped my new short WETSOUNDS, premiering on NOWNESS this October. Also Titane, for how Julia Ducournau uses colour like dialogue, and Darius Marder's Sound of Metal for rethinking perspective through sound. Those three films were my north star while writing WETSOUNDS, which is built around sensory overload and texture.

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?

Rosalía. No hesitation.

Who or what has most influenced your career?

The Coens' humour, [Terence] Malick's light, [Julia] Ducournau's colours, the way music shapes atmosphere in Twin Peaks, and the simple joy of connecting with people on set. I think comedy and beauty can live in the same frame. That's the heart of my work.