#sparkchamber 080723 — Pelin Keskin
A big, warm #sparkchamber welcome to Pelin Keskin, writer for hire for the screen and web, freelance video producer/director [formerly Vox Media], and EP and Co-host of Criticism is Dead podcast. The podcast, which Pelin co-hosts with Jenny G. Zhang, was listed as one of TIMES’s top 10 podcasts of 2021: “So much pop culture analysis of late veers into either unabashed fandom, or reflexive cynicism. Hosts Pelin Keskin and Jenny G. Zhang take a more nuanced approach. In each episode they consider seemingly unrelated TV shows, movies, or music they’ve been consuming and draw unlikely connections between what’s popular now. The Green Knight and The White Lotus, two notable summer releases, are a world apart [Arthurian legend and a ritzy Hawaiian resort, respectively], but both, argue Keskin and Zhang, reckon with the anxieties that arise when we leave our homes behind. By situating what they, and we, are watching and listening to within the larger cultural landscape, the hosts identify trends and contextualize their critiques in thoughtful conversation. And if you’re looking for recommendations, they have great taste.”
Pelin is currently in post-production on her first narrative short film, Three Meals which she wrote and directed. The film showcases the unique nature of the mother-daughter relationship, the conflicts that arise in that dynamic — caregiving, love v. resentment, honor and burden — and the hard choices that come with it. The story is a personal one for her. “As a writer and director, I always want to explore how life is composed of two truths at all times. Since moving away from my London birthplace and home in my mid-20’s, across an ocean to America, I have often wondered what my own mother’s journey might have looked like if her life didn’t take the path it did. At the age of 20, she went from daughter to wife and then mother, all in rapid succession. Life is a series of choices, and I know that for many women, it feels difficult to make them when the burden of responsibility is often theirs to keep. Now, in my early 30’s, I see my own divergent path mirroring certain aspects of my mother’s own trajectory, and my desire to engage with the truths and contradictions we face as women, daughters and mothers has lit a fire in me to tell stories we seldom see given new perspectives. This is the genesis of Three Meals and interrogating the question that always hangs in the air — who are we without our roles?”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
My ideas always have an element of my own lived experience and interests — whether it’s something I’ve always been fascinated by or something that rings emotionally true for me. The core starts there, and the rest is my imagination that has been influenced by culture and society.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
It all comes down to dedicating my time on earth to something that makes me happy and constantly challenges me.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I am definitely more of an early bird when it comes to my productivity but I adore my sleep — so I’m usually an afternoon sloth!
4.] How do you know when you are done?
I know when I need to step away from something when it feels like I’m problem-solving rather than thinking creatively. But I always come back to it after a break because I am never “done.” That’s the frustrating beauty of writing!