dima kalenda is a cinematographer/director and really a documentarian at heart. with a talent for creating emotion-filled scenes, dima explains how his mum and music have all been instrumental in pushing his creativity forward.
tell us about one creative episode of your childhood that has stayed in your head.
It would be hard to highlight one specific episode from my childhood, I have to be grateful to my mother who got me involved with art early on. Her artistic nature introduced me to a variety of creative people and industries.
tell us how you came to living a creative life as an adult.
For as long as I can remember, I have always tried to create something out of nothing. It was a natural progression to trust my instincts and pursue a creative career.
what are the challenges you face with living off your creativity?
It’s harder than it seems. Keeping myself motivated when things are slow and taking a break when things are intense. Ignoring the competition and focusing on my own journey.
what is your dream brief?
I feel like I’m still at a very beginning of my career. My ultimate dream would be lighting and shooting films, but there are many steps to get there. DPing for Ruben Östlund, Yorgos Lanthimos or Terrance Malick would be phenomenal.
describe one place or environment that sends you into Creative Land?
Music and melodic frequencies have always been the main inspiration for me. But also art in general, contemporary or modern, artists and visionaries and just life in general.
what is the one thing you have learnt so far in your career?
There are two quotes that I live and that help me to get by. First one is by Charles Bukowski: “Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing. To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art”.
The second one is from “Hearts of Darkness” by Francis Ford Coppola: “I'm sure I have missed a whole bunch of opportunities and I am going to miss others, but I caught a lot of them too.”
thank you dima! dima has created films for adidas, nike, playstation and trainline amongst others. to commission him, please get in touch with us.
