“Since I was little, I’ve been obsessed with mermaids. I dreamt of being one. But when I was old enough to read the myths — the Odyssey, for example — I realised that they weren’t these perfect idyllic beings, but real manipulators! This video is a homage to what mermaids meant to me, before growing up. I don’t think I’m the only girl who feels this way…”

We asked a few questions to Nur Casadevall about her new short-film

How do you come up with the idea of this film ?

I was hanging with my friend Berta, who’s a photographer, we were in her living room, and she asked me if I wanted to do a project with the model Oleksandra Sukhetska. When I saw her I was so fascinated because the image I saw was that of a real beautiful mermaid.

So, that night, I wrote a script about Mermaids. I have to say, it´s a fantasy I really love. Since I was little, I´ve been obsessed with mermaids. I dreamt of being one. But when I was old enough to read the myths — the Odyssey, for example — I realised that they weren’t these perfect idyllic beings, but real manipulators! This video is a homage to what mermaids meant to me, before growing up. I don’t think I’m the only girl who feels this way.

What was the inspiration for the visual aesthetic?

We wanted to find something simple to represent the mermaid fantasy — we weren´t looking for a super big production. Less is more, so to speak…

We wanted something light, like fabrics or plastics… and some objects about the sea.
For me, it was a good exercise because the mermaid fantasy is usually portrayed in either a super kitsch or super classical way. This was a chance to add my own aesthetic.

The hairs of your mermaid are red; is it a reference to Disney’s movie?

Yes, I think that all of my generation had a Disney childhood. So perhaps! Either way, the red hair contrasts beautifully with the blue of the sea 🙂

Do you personally believe mermaids are real ?

Hahaha, well, I believe in that fantasy of course! It´s fantastic!