Client Showcase #8: Xenia Chetrar
Xenia's work varies from 35mm stills to 8mm travelogues and urban explorations. We spoke with her recently about her response to the limitations (and liberations) of Super 8, artistic presence and restoring flea-market camera finds.
SAM: How long have you been shooting Super 8?
XENIA: I've been doing photography, specifically analogue, since I was a teenager. I started out with 35mm film photography. I am from Moldova, which is a former Soviet country. My grandparents had a collection of Soviet cameras. My grandfather gave me a Zenit and so I started shooting on film.
There’s something magical about capturing life on film, the look and feel of it. It was a pretty weird time. It was the rise of digital, and analogue wasn't really there anymore. In my hometown we had one dark room, but they did not have any scanners or anything. They would just print your film pictures.
This early fascination with classic analogue photography naturally evolved into motion picture film when I came across a Canon Zoom 518 Super 8 camera at a flea market.
SAM: How was the camera when you found it?
XENIA: It was a wreck. It wasn't working. I have no idea how many years it must have been there. There were many leaks, a lot of corrosion. I checked the motor and it was running.
I thought, "well, I'm just gonna try and clean it.” I had to restore part of the battery compartment. And it actually worked! It felt like I was breathing new life into it. Even the zoom function works, which is great for this camera. It gives you this very smooth motion when you zoom in and out.
SAM: Those zooms are really nostalgic, aren't they?
XENIA: Super 8 is all about nostalgia, it allows me to explore memory. I often bring my Super 8 camera on trips, capturing travel moments as silent, personal diaries. I love exploring the London streets and local communities, capturing the everyday life and routines of the city. I try to shoot a ready-made narrative, without editing it much after. I try to create the story in the process of filming.
SAM: You must be very present whilst filming?
XENIA: Analogue really allows you to be present in the moment. It's so different to digital in terms of the effort, both physically and mentally, that you have to put in. That's something that I really appreciate in this medium.
SAM: Have you always shot on 50D?
XENIA: Yeah. I've been loving it so far. I love the look and feel of it, the color palette and how it handles natural light.
SAM: You’ve done skateboard videos, surf and fashion shoots. What are your influences?
XENIA: I used to be in the skateboarding community when I was a teenager. I remember watching all these skate films shot on Super 8 and camcorder. My love for Super 8 is rooted in watching these lo-fi films with their raw, DIY storytelling. I’m influenced by embracing flaws as part of the beauty.
SAM: Do you have any projects at the moment, or is it more of an evolving practice?
XENIA: Sound is also a big part of my process. I enjoy creating my own original soundscapes and recording ambient audio. I would love to work with musicians in the future.
