MIYAKO BELLIZZI
ALCHEMIST | Costume Designer
The costume designer has made a name for herself as a consummate vibe-setter, whether she’s lending her eye to historical fare like this year’s The History of Sound or the cortisol-spiking marathon Good Time.
WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE? Most of the projects I take on help me through a moment in my life. Some films I know about years in advance, while others present themselves without much time to react. It’s exciting but can throw life around a bit. I was able to work on a film called War Pony, which took place on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. I wasn’t able to stay through the shoot, but the short time I had there really had an effect on me—something I didn’t know I needed at the time.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SURPRISED YOURSELF IN YOUR PRACTICE? Every time I complete a film, I’m surprised with myself for a few reasons. One is that I completed it successfully. Another is looking back at the process and the decisions I made in that moment. So much of my work consists of making decisions quickly and trusting my intuition. I won’t know whether or not they were the right ones until the film is completed.
“So much of my work consists of making decisions quickly and trusting my intuition. I won’t know whether or not they were the right ones until the film is completed.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO CULTURE? Someone said something to me when I was at a crossroads between fashion and film that has always resonated with me. It’s that fashion can change as an industry, but film changes the culture. Looking back, I can see how some of my film work has affected the culture as a whole.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? LESS OF? Film is not as diverse and inclusive as it should be.
WHAT QUESTION DO YOU ASK YOURSELF MOST OFTEN WHILE YOU’RE MAKING WORK? How can this be better?
in your life?
