Miriam Kruishoop: Encouraging others to use their platforms to create conversations

Miriam Kruishoop, who directed and wrote the new film Estilo Americano used her platform to talk about what is going on in America from a different point of view. Estilo Americano is about a family that have different views about America, which could break their family apart. The film goes into detail about bridging the gap of judgement and listening to what others have to say, even though you may disagree with them.

Kruishoop was inspired to write this film based on the America that she saw when President Trump was elected and saw how some of the Latino community had accepted President Trump even when he said controversial things about their culture.

"I was wondering why Latinos weren't collectively standing up against this horrible behavior. Where are the Black Panthers and Malcom X's? I have many Latino friends and I was having conversations with them about this. They shared a lot of insight into their personal story and family dynamic. It turned out that a lot of families are politically very divided (many are Trump supporters) and this caused for friction among relatives," said Kruishoop.

Kruishoop feels like viewers who watch Estilo Americano will learn something from the movie. "Don't judge people. Don't have prejudice. It's what my work as a filmmaker and visual artist is about. I create platforms and give voice and bring stories to life from all around the world. I focus on themes of social justice and try to draw attention to the stories of the unseen people in society."

Before the movie was produced, Kruishoop and her team had to adapt to the new norm.She pushed through it and was very grateful for her team helping her. "Film making essentially is constantly finding creative solutions for problems. Again, having a great team, hemmed by a strong female producer like Ellen, makes all the difference. Currently it's hard to get indie productions off the ground. The extra costs needed for the safety and health protocols increase budgets substantially. Insurance is hard to obtain for long shots especially, and people are less eager to travel. So in every way it is much harder. Our business is strong. I always want to stay positive and look ahead. The most important thing right now is to VOTE and come together as people."

Kruishoop has always encouraged individuals to use their voice and platforms to bring awareness to certain issues around the globe. "Just do it! Use your voice. People say why is a Dutch/American woman doing telling these stories? Well if no one else is doing it, I will. Talk about the things that you care about. Things you see in society. Sometimes you need an outsider/insider perspective to bring things to the forefront. Show it and say it. Don't be afraid."

Kruishoop's film can be seen on www.LosCortos.com You can find Kruishoop's work on www.miriamkruishoop.com Film website: www.estiloamericano.net Instagram film: @estiloamericano.film Instagram MK: @mkruishoop