Charm Circle

Nira Burstein – Director’s Statement

Charm Circle is a microcosm of modern issues via a personal perspective. The film touches upon struggles with mental health, disability, poverty, generational divide and queer culture, but is not driven by agenda, rather my focus is what connects us despite adversity. My feeling is that the personal is universal and honesty is the guiding factor.

My interests and goals are constantly evolving, although the core passions of what drives my work have remained the same: to entertain whilst showing a side of humanity that challenges societal norms and stereotypes, eliciting understanding and empathy. Work that exemplifies personal and global issues simultaneously drives me, as I think it is what links us. I want to continue exploring these themes through documentary, narrative, and experimental video and film art. My past work explores these ideas, and specifically with my family- my short film The Light House was shot in my parents’ house.

For many years, I was the mediator and the fixer, but these fixes were exhausting and ultimately temporary, so I picked up the camera as a means to allow myself to observe my family rather than trying to solve their problems. Our impact campaign will strive to ameliorate the stigma and isolation that can intensify when dealing with such personal issues, and to empower individuals to seek outside help, whether through family and friends or with community organizations that can cater to their needs.