Jessica Mitrani
Directing
Biography
Jessica Sofía Mitrani, formerly known as Jessica Grossman, is a filmmaker and visual artist from Barranquilla. She has studied law and holds a master’s degree in Theatre Directing. Her approach to film began through theatre, working with the New Stage theatre company, where she co-directed multimedia performances. She has been involved in various aspects of filmmaking, from screenwriting and video production to costume design. She shot her first short film in 1999, titled Rita Goes to the Supermarket (2000), which was screened at several film festivals and included in the permanent collections of multiple museums and institutions. Her filmography includes works such as the fictional short film Mary Jane (2006), the short and artistic installation Headpieces for Peace (2011-2014), La Divanee (2013), Traveling Lady / The Perfect Brand (2014-2015), Visit a Plant (2016), among others. Mitrani received a grant from the Hermès Foundation in support of her film Traveling Lady, which was showcased at the Crossing the Line festival in New York, the New Settings program in Paris, the Soluna International Music and Arts Festival in Dallas, and the Museo del Chopo in Mexico City. In 2016, her theatrical collaboration The Undertaking was featured at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of its New Wave Festival and performed at Ryan McNamara’s Back to School at MoMA PS1 in New York. In 2018, she conceived, wrote, and directed A Crucigramista, a short film that is part of the América Invertida series for ARTE1 channel in Brazil.
Known For
The first single shoe was made for the narrator of the performance piece Some Historic - Some Hysteric in 2004. Following came the series In a single shoe which includes the Nurse (2006), as well as nine other shoes and five videos in which each shoe has its own narrative.
Nurse
A tale of irony of the everyday business of supermarket shopping. In this parody of blue detergents, soap squirts, blood dripping from bags of meat, plastic brushes, appearances of Frida Kahlo and rolls of toilet paper Rita confronts the demons that are part of her pink and complex feminine world.
Rita goes to the Supermarket
Mitrani’s single shoe concept, introduced in 2004, transforms classic feminine footwear into a symbol of isolation and identity, blending everyday aesthetics with deeper narratives. In this short film, the single patent-leather shoe of a young girl is prominently featured in various rural locations, creating striking imagery that contrasts innocence with solitude while evoking themes of desire and vulnerability.