Meet Sandra De Silva De La Torre | Cinematographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra De Silva De La Torre and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am Mexican, but was born in Paris. I think that mixture help me understand the diversity of our world. Wile I was growing up I had poor health. Ended up going out and in the hospital many, many times. I suffer a lot of fiscal pain because of it, but I also faced myself with a lot of bulling at school because of it. I was in the verge of death many many times, more than I can count off, all that psychological and physiological pain help me be extremely empathic. Another big thing for me is: as a Female cinematographer I got told many times “women cannot touch a camera so they cannot be cinematographers”
I think all that endurance has help me to keep on going, to never give up until I reach my goals. All my life experience contributes my creativity. It helps me to understand the characters and the worlds they live in, so I can create them trough images and lighting.
It has also made me realize I don’t want anyone to feel the way I have in the past, so I created Apertura, a civil organization that empowers women and LGTBQ+ to pursuit their passions

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think everyday we evolve, everyday we learn something new, this path is always changing and we have to change to create new stories.

One if the things I’m most proud of is my framing. I tried to make every image as strong as I can so they talks by themself in order to contribute into the story. I in order to prepare for a project I try to understand the Characters, either fictional or real, the best I can, what motivates them, how they feel, what is their psychology, how do they react to things, etcetera, all the characters help me then to understand how the story has to be framed, and how the storytelling has to evolve during the movie.
Despite the proud I am of my framing, I used to be really disappointed about my camera operating, it was always shaking and lacked of confidence. So I train a lot, physical, respiratory and mentally to get more stability in my framing, in my job, so you can see how strong, decisive, secure my images are.

In order for me to get where I am it was extremely hard. First I have to prove many, many times that as woman I could be a Cinematographer, I didn’t have doubt in my mind, but many people did, so I had to prove them wrong, and that was exhausting as I put energy in demonstrating I could, instead of creating.
I had to keep on pushing and pushing so I could have a chance to work. I’m so proud to be where I am, the things I have done in the past, or the things that happen to me in the past, all of it I walked it and now it the fire that help me in my creation process, in my art.
Along the road are more tangible “trophies” that serve as a reminder of what I have accomplished towards my goals. I will give two examples, one if the book “Stop-motionAnimation by Barry JC Pruves (2014)” where my work in “The Gravediggers Tale” is featured as an example of lighting and composition. The second example is the book “Mexicanos en el cine (2023)” by Fernando Aceves where you can find around 200 Mexican Filmmakers, including Guillermo Del Torro, Alejandro Iñarritu, Rodrigo Prieto ASC AMC and myself.

All of this as taught me that with perseverance and work your dreams can come true.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Uffff… my country is so big, my city is so big… First I would take them to the Anthropologie museum, so they could understand more about Mayan and Aztecs, and the most important how was Mexico City founded over a lake so they understand why the City is sinking. We would walk the to Castillo de Chapultepec, crossing the street, and inside the Chapultepec forest.
In the Castillo I would show them the most beautiful murals of the place and the magnificent view of the entire city (if the day is clear). Their would be time to talk about Porfirio Diaz and how his passion towards French culture made him mimic Les Champs Elise street into our own Reforma, with can be view from the top of the castle. After that could be a good moment to eat and drink either in Polanco, Roma or Condesa neighborhoods. I would chose a place where you could eat some of the most iconic dishes mexico has to offer. After all we have an extensive variety of culinary dishes from all over the country, beyond burritos and fajitas. That would be accompanied by Mezcal, pulque or tequila some of our more popular alcoholic beverages. Then Walk at night in Reforma.
Next day would be to go to el Zocalo, center of de City, to see how is sinking, visit my favorite Spanish building the mail post, then walk into bellas artes and casa de los azulejos, to then pay a visit to the most beautiful churches constructed on top of the most impressive pyramids, walk on some pyramid wins, eat at one of the many top roofs in zocalo to enjoy the view and walk inside the Gran Hotel. Then go to Coyoacan and visit Frida Kahlo’s house, buy some handicrafts in the market, walk in the plaza and eat and drink somewhere there.
After a day with Frida, we have to have a day with Diego Rivera, visiting his atelier, and then the museum of la casa estudio de Diego y Frida, eat next door at San Angel Inn restaurant, then could be a good moment to go to Xochimilco and enjoy a ride in las trajineras drinking, snaking and enjoying the canal.
Next day would be the perfect moment, after being immerse in the culture, to visit Teotihuacan pyramids (moon and sun) later on drive to the next city and visit Tlaxcala Pyramids, eat along the way and then rest.
We could also visit some nearby cities like Tepozotlan, Cuernavaca, Puebla, Queretaro…
So much more it can be done and I think is too long now hahaha

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, I recognize my family and their support, even though my parents didn’t want me to study film, they supported me. They were somehow scared it would be extremely difficult for me to be in this industry when nobody in the family is, and despite their fears they are by my side in every single step I make. I thank them so much for their support, not only in my career, but for all the things I have done my creating Apertura, they are always by my side.

The second thing that helped me to endure the difficulties was a book a friend gave wile I was studding in Vancouver Film School. I remember every morning wile walking to the school stopping at a showcase and looking at a pink, white and blue book in the middle of all the books, on my birthday my friend surprised me with the book: Women behind the Camera by Alexis Krasilousky.
I treasure that book as it became sort of my Bible, every time somebody said something to me about being woman trying to get into the Camera department, I read that book. I must have read the book more than a thousand times. All the stories of the women in the different crafts in the camera department push me to believe I could be Cinematographer, I endure, never giving up my dreams and goals. I became stubborn until I finally I became a Cinematographer.

I wish I had somebody physically next to me to help me through those times, a sort of a role model, but I didn’t, so I created Apertura so minorities wouldn’t feed alone in their journey, so they could know that there were others struggling and together we can make it to the top.
I want to be the best role model I wish I had, and I want to keep on improving my skills as a Cinematographer to become stronger every day.

Website: www.sandradesilvadelatorre.com

Instagram: sandradesilva

Linkedin: sandradesilva

Facebook: sandradesilva

Other: IMDB https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2486409/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 the book and my picture is there https://www.amazon.com.mx/Libro-Mexicanos-Cine-Coffe-table/dp/6075997008/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JHJ26KU1A74C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KKYB3BkZKxJkCcPDusJdHQ.x-tKX_HtR4e8WP_4DcQW4hBXuuPq_RtqLMibq5cdSXI&dib_tag=se&keywords=mexicanos+en+el+cine+fernando+aceves&qid=1711737766&sprefix=mexicanos+en+el%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.4e545b5e-1d45-498b-8193-a253464ffa47

Image Credits
First pic, me walking with a camera: Taken by Gerardo Miranda during the filming of a comercial, Edo Mex Second Pic: Taken by Lupillo Barroso my gaffer wile shooting a comercial in 2019, Mexico City Third pic: Taken by Ivan Vilchis wile filming Wasted in Ireland Ford Pic: taken in 2012, dont remember who took it, it was wile filming Diaries of Incidences, London Fifth pic: Image I created for a Comercial Six: Image I created for a Documentary Call Me Mataron 3 Veces -won many awards around the globe seventh: Image I created for documentary Sangre Violenta Sangre Violeta – recently winer of award audience at SXSW2024 Eight: Taken by Diego Martinez, Wile shooting Me Mataron 3 Veces in la Paz Ninth: Taken by Diego Martinez, in a recce of Me Mataron 3 Veces in Mexico City