Lili Bordan
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Actor
Honoring our lineage while growing into a space yet to be defined – this, in my opinion, is the greatest responsibility of our generation, what I like to refer to as ‘The Bridge Generation.’ Many of our cultural influences prod us to “go out and get.” I think, in my not so unique opinion, what is “out there” remains to be created, its only limit our imagination(s). Art, finances, games, scientific advances, life itself. All of it. Our generation has been dealt a gray area, pilgrims in an often unholy land, and we can choose to submit to its confusion, or build into a space only we can define. Lili Bordan comes from creative ancestry. Lili also sees the big picture. Lili is a builder.
When I enter a crowded room and scan the faces and movement, there are those who blend, those who stand out and those who I simply need to know – Lili was all of these. I met her at a fashion show a few years ago and was immediately struck by her poise – her disposition was both ancient and evolved, meeting perfectly in the present. A few weeks later I found out a friend had done a project with Lili, stating immediately with a smile, “Oh, yeah, I worked with Lili. She really loves what she does.” It shows. On screen and in life, it shows. Lili’s words remind me of one of my favorite TED talks by author Elizabeth Gilbert on creative genius – if you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do.
Lili is lucid. Lili is thunder. Read her words, find her eyes on screen – you’ll know what I’m talking about.
The act of creation is the conscious exercise of participating in one’s own divinity. When you are creative, you might feel the touch of the infinite. Some rare moments, when I am writing or feel upon a character, it’s like entering a porthole and being drawn to the treasure of the ruins buried deep beneath the scabs and rubble of my personal civilization.
Finding the nexus point, the essence of a character or story is like searching for an electrical socket in the dark; you drag the plug along the wall and hope you find where it’s meant to go. Once you have felt your way to the socket, enter the moment of the light turning on and all is illuminated. The prize of the seeker of stories is truth. The truth was there before, but it’s essence can only be brought to light by you, because you believed, because you sought it’s existence in the first place.
Acting can be confusing. Exhausting. If you are invested in your auditions, finally getting a job can be like surviving so many still-births. I like to think that these unborn characters fly back around and inspire the one that you finally deliver.
After a while, the birthing process becomes easier. You gain confidence, and there is a certain ease and joy that comes along with “popping another one out.” You watch it grow, and hopefully, when the time is ripe, you can separate yourself from it.
Ideally, the same holds true for your character. You can see how she is most like you; what essence you share, and what fundamentally distinguishes you. Your children, they say, are your greatest teachers. So too, must be the characters you choose to play. Sometimes, they choose to play you!
Yesterday a filmmaker who once took photos of me in a forest texted me out of the blue. “I am writing a short film script right now and the main female character keeps reminding me of you. She IS you.” In the excitement of being “discovered” I responded, “That is very intriguing, because my whole life, I’ve been asking myself: ‘who am I?’” My characters help me arrive at some deeper understanding of that.
It is only when I truly understand who I am, that I can appreciate who you are. And if you recognize some of yourself in something of mine- take it as a sign of gratitude from me, for being who you are. In the brightest expression of my art, I am honoring your journey from who you have been, through who you have become, to who you desire to be.
Links:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1584324/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1
Color Photo by Chris Stanford
