The Work That Made Me: Chrris Lowe
Chrris Lowe is a Toronto-based director and editor with a focus on telling stories that are visually driven and injected with deep authenticity. Most of her work focuses on the varied experiences of BIPOC folk. An intentional choice that she has made as a Black, queer, woman director. Her stories are curiosity led and explore humanity with a distinct style of storytelling that can be adapted to any project be that commercial, music video and everything In between. Chrris uses her varied experience in photography, filmmaking and interviewing to craft striking worlds that intentionally explore the human experience in a way that feels dynamic, engaging and honest. She leaves viewers feeling empowered to ask more questions and do further exploration or their own.
The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Chrris> ‘Beautiful’ by Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell. I mean how could it not stay with me? The song was one thing but the location, the people, the merging cultures? I was pretty young when it came out but I remember thinking “these guys are really just in Brazil filming a music video.” I think it affirmed to me that creative work had the power to take people all over the world. The video itself felt raw and organic but still polished. At the time I didn’t know why I loved it so much, I think now I see that that contrast is something I really enjoy in the work I create and consume.
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Chrris> I’m sure there are thousands of videos and images that, all together, have inspired me to enter the industry but two that stand out are Alright and ELEMENT. ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ and ‘DAMN.’ Both had a profound impact on me. I remember the first time I listened to ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’ I listened to it the entire way through twice. It felt like looking into the most intimate parts of a stranger's mind yet understanding what I was being shown. Which, to me, felt like the equivalent of a stranger coming up to me and speaking a different language yet I understood what they were saying. Everything about it felt so complete and resonated in ways I can’t necessarily articulate but it’s felt. The visual stories that came with them were just an extension of this feeling. They were written in a language I understood and I immediately felt the need to explore this way of expression and communication.
The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem etc) that I keep revisiting…
Chrris> There are many things that I revisit but it’s usually for a certain period of time. When a thought, conversation or project arises, and I dive into research. I’ll watch something numerous times during that process so It’s difficult to name just one. Currently I’ve been revisiting the music video for ‘Worth A Million’ by Jeremy Pope, the spot ‘Listen’ for KCRW and the documentary Shakedown by director Leilah Weinraub. These three pieces are very different from each other, but they are all beautiful and intimate in their own ways, which I love.
Aside from traditional creative work, one thing I can say I revisit consistently are my personal journals. I’ve been keeping one since I was in high school. Writing has always been very cathartic for me and a dependable way to express and process my thoughts and emotions with honesty. I’ll have moments where I feel called to open one and see where my mind was at at any given time (I write the date/time and a little about my surroundings so I can recall the moment clearly). Reading my thoughts from 10 years ago compared to my thoughts now is like reading about an entirely different human and It feels like an alternate reality. The process of this often provides depth and understanding to the work I do in the present tense.
My first professional project…
Chrris> My first professional project was a video I directed for my wonderful friend Keosha Love who's a writer and a poet amongst many other things. It’s a visual titled ‘Are You Down’ for a poem written about Black Love. It was a magical experience and the first time I got to direct something with more tools and resources than just running around with my dslr. I was invited to do so by my dear friend Kit who saw something in me early on and encouraged me to pursue directing despite my fears and hesitations. It still means so much to me. It provided the confidence I needed when I was just beginning.
The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Chrris> There’s no piece of work that has made me angry. There is work that resonates and work that doesn’t but I don’t necessarily attach such a strong emotion to the projects that don’t. It’s more so a neutral feeling but even then, there are times where I can watch something and feel neutral about it and then revisit it years later and it has a deep impact on me and vice versa. In each piece of art I consume and each project I work on there is something of value and something to gain.
The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that still makes me jealous…
Chrris> ‘Smile’ by JAY- Z ft. Gloria Carter is a video that has stuck with me throughout the years. It doesn’t necessarily make me feel jealous, but it only made clearer my existing desire to create work that explores interpersonal relationships and the many emotions that result in a deep and intimate way. There are infinite ways to do this in all areas of filmmaking. Advertising, music video, documentary or narrative. Coming from an academic background in social work, relationships, emotions and the human psyche have always been at the forefront of my mind when creating, filmmaking is a conduit to explore these things. This is an example of that.
The creative project that changed my career…
Chrris> I’ve created many things I am proud of that were representative of significant moments in my journey but I’m still evolving in so many ways as an artist so I think this project is yet to come.
The work that I’m proudest of…
Chrris> I care deeply about all of the projects I’ve been involved in so there’s quite a few that I could name but right now I’d say ‘Room Service’ by Haviah Mighty stands out. A music video I co-directed with my collaborator Kit Weyman. It gave me the opportunity to create something very Black, very Caribbean and very queer. A mix of things I rarely got to see on screen growing up, let alone experience in real life. That music video was an intentional choice to represent the queer community in a way that felt authentic, fun, rich, colourful, vibrant, playful and loud. It's a representation that many of us needed and few of us had and I’m extremely proud to have played a part in putting it out into the world.
I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Chrris> There’s nothing that I was involved in that makes me cringe. It’s all a part of the evolution process as an artist. Everything I’ve done is a reflection of where I was at in my journey at that time and I don’t think it’s necessary to feel embarrassed about any of it. It is what it is. You do, you learn, you get better.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Chrris> I’m involved in one right now that I’m particularly excited about. I can’t say much but I’m looking forward to sharing it soon.
