THE DOOR IS OPEN, I'LL WAIT

THE DOOR IS OPEN, I’LL WAIT explores the realms of family, culture, and ancestry, and how these play a silent, yet profound role in shaping individuals. A loose narrative follows a rope through time and space, illustrating how our past leads to our present which leads to our future. A sense of tradition and culture is blended with more modern, and even brutalist techniques, in order to create an atmosphere of mysticism.

This short fashion film was created for the BFA Fashion Design thesis course at Parsons School of Design.

  • Helen Sotropa
    Director
  • Kevin Johnson
    Director
  • Helen Sotropa
    Writer
  • Kevin Johnson
    Writer
  • Kayla Casey
    Producer
  • Madison Westermann
    Production Coordinator
  • Luc Nixon
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Dawson Keiser
    2nd Assistant Camera
  • Ben McLaughlin
    Gaffer
  • Alfie Muronda
    Key Grip
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 23, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Romanian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Parsons School of Design
Director Biography - Helen Sotropa, Kevin Johnson

Helen Sotropa acknowledges the desire for familiarity within the fragility of communities. With a strong Romanian upbringing in the states, preservation of tradition coincides with assimilation through evolution, and this contrast is ingrained deep within garments. Traditional Romanian embroidery and beading are explored to create a collection of texture, yet proposed in unorthodox materialities. She achieves a new way of looking by combining tradition into knitwear and metal steel, emphasizing the integrity of the origin in unknown contexts. Genderless silhouettes serve as a solution for unexpectedness, allowing the subconscious and intuitions to guide. She believes that while the future is unstable, the familiar stabilizes us, and invitations for foreign experiences become willingly welcomed.

Helen is a 2023 BFA Fashion Design Graduate from Parsons school of Design, is the founder of HESO and is a 2022, 2023 Fashion Scholarship Fund recipient and a 2022 CFDA Scholar.

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