-Who is Darion Trotman?

This is both a daunting and exciting question. Darion Trotman is a work in progress. He is an artist, a husband, a son, an uncle, a friend, and a brother. He is a person full of flaws, but also of great beauty. He is quiet but learning the power of his voice. He is driven by curiosity and the desire to understand himself and those who live on this earth with him. He is appalled and utterly in love with the world he lives in. Every day, I discover or rediscover something new or old about myself and the world around me. That’s what I hope to do as a filmmaker – share these findings through my films, like puzzle pieces forming and putting myself together piece by piece, film by film.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I’ve always watched films since I was a kid. I have fond memories of spending hours with my mum watching countless films of all varieties, being ensnared by the escapism of the moving frame. I followed the characters and their choices religiously. Films were my books, my great teachers about the world. I always wanted to be a storyteller in some facet, and films have been the main window through which I see that possibility.

-Do you think cinema can bring a change in society?

I believe humans and the choices we make will bring the only change in society. Films do an incredible job of highlighting a path or possibility that we could take while showing us our past mistakes and triumphs. So while I don’t believe they will specifically change society, I do believe they have great power in showing us a way to make that change we seek a reality.

-What would you change in the world?

I would change our individual comfort. I would make it so that we feel and understand the discomfort of others. Maybe then we would want to be a part of the necessary global changes to truly see peace in our time. Our desire to remain comfortable in our own lives only protects “us” and blocks us from truths right in front of our view. We need to get uncomfortable so that we can find communal well-being that we can all share and experience equally.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

Film is art, and art is the archiving of the entire human experience. This is an essential element for us as a species. So, in 100 years, I still see it being an integral part of our lives, but perhaps the way in which we consume it will be different. I just hope that in 100 years, we can get away from being so worried about how much capital films will bring us over a weekend and get back to expressing ourselves, starting conversations with one another about this life through the form of cinema, and adding our individual experiences to the collective pot.