b r y a n   s a n t i a g o  

n e w   y o r k   . v e r m o n t

After years of incorporating more and more video into my cinematic theatrical productions, one audience member said, “You have so much video content here, why don’t you make your own film?” Great idea!

And so I embarked on my first short film, Grafton. Grafton is a psychological thriller about a woman who gets lost on the interstate and stumbles upon a small town where she reluctantly assumed the identity of someone else. This story was inspired by the real life disappearance of Paula Weldon in what’s known as the Bennington Triangle in Vermont. Over a period of years, a number of people strangely vanished from this area, never to be found. This interwoven with some personal life experiences and a love for the original Twilight Zone, (or an analog Black Mirror episode) birthed an idea for a short, that’s now in development as a feature.

MIASM, my upcoming project and first independent feature film, is a story about ancestral trauma and how it can work in our lives undetected. Until that is, it rears its ugly head and causes damage with in us, our environment and relationships. How one traumatic event in another country that consumed a distant relatives life, can still haunt you and take you down.

Prior to these film endeavors, my theatrical performance, Someone’s Trying To Kill Me, originated from a true story about my two aunts attempt to murder their abusive, alcoholic father when they were barely teenage girls. This happened during the 1950’s, and the story connects their lives to America’s peak moment in manufacturing, suburban development, and social repression. The narrative also finds parallels in the recession of 2008 caused by hyper-capitalism and resulting in the decaying of the suburbs and rampant job loss. The story is told through original film footage, stock film footage from the 1950s, and the staged production that ties it all together. 

In earlier works, such as The Novelties, I examine the significance of gender on an individual’s life. In The Novelties, two people who are actually versions of the same person but different genders are looking for each other but are kept apart by a physical manifestation of their fears. Originally a dance performance, then a staged multi-media production, it is now being drafted into a television pilot.

I began my career as a choreographer, dancer, and actor. I formed my artistic voice through the expression of movement as a choreographer and then later weaving that into dramatic work on stage and screen.

Although I left the world of acting, it taught me a great deal about how to work with actors. I understand the sensitivity and patience required when working with actors, how to nurture their craft and hone in on their strengths while helping them overcome their weaknesses. I find this challenge both exhilarating and rewarding. 

All of these previous works, in all their varied forms, from dance to theatre to multi-media, have sharpened my skills as a director adding focus and detail to movement, lighting, working with actors, and overall creating a cohesive artistic vision.

Though my early work was experimental in nature, I believe I have cultivated over the years an artistic style that also speaks to a wider audience. With MIASM, a feature film, Grafton now a feature film and a concept for a series, and The Novelties, a television series in development, I am looking forward to engaging a broad spectrum of people to share these stories.