By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
For Oxford sophomore Blake Myers, art is what drew him to Nora Chapa Mendoza.
“She’s a 92-year-old Hispanic artist,” he said. “To this day, she still makes art.”
Myers chose Chapa Mendoza as the subject for his documentary. On June 1, his documentary won Best of Show, as well as the John Prusak Visionary Award for best documentary at the 56th Michigan Digital Arts, Film and Television (DAFT) Student Film Festival.
Chapa Mendoza was recently the recipient of the Kresge Eminent Artist award, which honors artists for their work and professional achievements in the arts and their contribution to their art form.
“I’ve always loved art, and I love film, which is also an art,” said Myers. “I just gravitated to her story.”
Myers says his love of films, such as Jurassic Park and Star Wars, have inspired him to start making short films. He also says he filmed the whole thing on an iPhone 15.
“As the years went by, I started learning to edit and eventually made films,” he said. “It’s been an awesome experience. It’s my first major film that I’ve made. It took a little bit, but it ended up being amazing. I love editing, and I love how it turned out.”
In the future, Myers hopes to make a full-scale film, either a narrative or a documentary.
“Being a director or editing that even would be great,” he said. “I just thank Nora for letting me come to her studio.”
See the film at www.youtube.com/@fishyboy820yt.