Lisel

Today, Lisel releases the video for 'Blades of Grass' off Patterns For Auto-Tuned Voices And Delay, which came out in February.  In this experimental track, Lisel gracefully harmonizes multiple-tracked vocals, intertwining over a soft backing synth that gradually builds into a captivating and hypnotic rhythm. The accompanying video, directed by BAFTA Newcomer Fellow Julia Ponce Díaz, reflects the amorphous, haunting mood of the track. Striking shots of solitude juxtapose with serene nature and LA’s Brutalist sea of concrete. There’s an inscrutable tension between the peace and anxiety of the images when coupled with Lisel’s layered vocals, embellishing the delicate drama of the track.

Director Díaz spoke on the inspiration for the visuals:

“Blades of Grass’ made me think of all of those private spirals we get trapped on on a daily basis. All those internal journeys we go on but never tell anyone about. There’s something about the repetitiveness of the score and the lack of words that took me back to those failed attempts we often make to try and put our feelings into words. Or even worse, those moments when we don’t even try, when after coming out of a certain spiral, we minimize our experience to the point of denying it. With the Blades of Grass music video, I wanted to explore those obsessive thoughts and patterns in an abstract dance piece shot on exteriors around the city of Los Angeles” 

BIO

Julia Ponce Díaz was born and raised in a town with six churches and no movie theater, but somehow found herself closer to film than to god. She’s currently based in Los Angeles, where she works across narrative, fashion and commercials. 

Her latest short film, Cowboy, Choker, Harness & Hear, an exploration on the limits of commitment and desire in the queer community, will be screening this Summer as an Official Selection of GAZE International Film Festival and Vancouver Queer Film Festival, following its premiere at Outfest July 15th. 

Her thesis film Soredia, about a foreign girl trying to find her roots in the US, had its online release through the Directors Notes platform after a year in a festival run that included selections at Flickers' Rhode Island, AFI Fest, Hollyshorts, and Directed by Women Spain, amongst others. 

Julia has collaborated with sustainable fashion brands such as LE·BOBÚ, Janira Gaya, PERSONA, and Luz Muerta in the creation of commercial and fashion films that have gotten the attention of Fashion Film Festivals around the world. Her work has been featured in publications like Vogue Spain, NON Magazine, MovieMaker and No Film School. 

Julia’s feature script, Digital Dolls, a hybrid coming-of-age film that mixes live-action and animation, and is set in the rural and virtual surroundings of the early-2000s South of Spain, was one of the six projects selected to be a part of ExtremLab (L’Alternativa), and Málaga Talent Campus (Festival de Málaga). Digital Dolls is also one of the projects receiving mentorship from the Film Independent Imaginar Producers Residency (The Walt Disney Company, Searchlight & NALIP).

A recipient of the La Caixa Fellowship, Julia completed her Directing MFA at the American Film Institute. She also receives support from BAFTA US through her participation in the BAFTA Newcomers Program.