Proving to become the next Steven Spielberg, senior Litzy Garcia has managed to bring audiences with emotions together through the art of storytelling. Winning first place in the Parent Teacher Student Association Reflections, Garcia was able to express the true hope of humanity.
“From an early age, my family has always told me stories, stories that fill me with emotions and ideas. Over time when I learned what cinema was, I started to think [about] what would happen if I could turn those stories into images. So then that happened. [Since] I am [also] a music lover, adding a complex melody to moving images creates much more emotion,” senior Garcia said.
Garcia’s film, ‘HUMANIDAD, A HOPE OF LOVE’, inspired by this year’s released prompt, “I am hopeful because…” focuses on how conflicts and morality impact innocent people, such as kids. Putting differences aside, Garcia’s idea for making the film was to awaken the eyes of people by demonstrating how unity and support make people resilient. She focused on how it allowed them to tackle obstacles with determination and optimism.
“When I filmed this, I hoped that this film could transmit a message of hope that reminds us that despite the difficulties that humans face, that it is our union that makes us stronger and helps us overcome any problems and the film reminds us that children are the main victims of these situations,” senior Garcia said.
After receiving her inspiration for the film, Garcia had a deep desire to fulfill it, and she knew exactly what steps to take. Over three days, Garcia poured her heart into editing her film and completed it after finalizing the narration around early December. Gathering a mix of videos saved from different moments of her life and some sourced from the internet, she weaved them together to create the heart-touching film, ultimately winning first place in the competition.
“Once I knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker, my new mission became to look for a perfect university or college to ensure a promising future for my career. Among all the study institutions I found, Ithaca College was the most beneficial. Besides, the location benefits me because in the future it will be easier for me to connect with production companies in New York City,” senior Garcia said.
Garcia has a clear pathway for her future: becoming a film director. Taking a step forward to achieve her goal, she was recently accepted to Ithaca College to study and complete a four-year major in Film, Photography and Visual Arts for starting fall of 2024. To Garcia, Ithaca was the most convenient, as the institution specializes in cinema and connections.
“I hope that the future will allow me to leave a positive mark on the world or cherish memories in people’s lives. For example, an iconic movie quote or an iconic character that will become the future trending Halloween costume,” senior Garcia said.
Being young and still having meaningful messages through her films depicts her passion for mindfulness. With Cavaliers soon buying tickets to watch Garcia’s films at the movie theaters, she hopes to display the cherished childhood memories of tomorrow’s adults. Still, the message in her first film stays clear: people should spread positivity with love.
