Noam Argov is a filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer, and MFA Graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Film Futures Scholar). Her work as a writer, director, and producer has screened at SXSW, Locarno, Aspen Shortsfest, and Palm Springs. She recently produced a Spike Lee–executive produced short nominated for a Student BAFTA, and her feature script “Princess” was selected as the top script for NYU’s Table-Read Initiative, where it was read in its entirety for actors and industry. After growing up outside of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, Noam began her career in documentary and then pivoted to narrative. She is based in Brooklyn and often collaborates with her (much cooler) sister – Sappir Argov.
Director Statement
Much like our world, Ella’s world is a world of mirrors, eyes, phone cameras and pictures. Her neighbor – Ella’s image of perfection – is disturbingly similar to the modern social media image of perfection that most young women are presented with today: fitness, succulents, selfies. I was interested in the intersection of these worlds and the physical manifestation of our ugliest, deepest desires. As such, most of the film was born out of my own curiosity to experiment. What would it look like if I was to put all of our social media tendencies (stalking, screenshotting, infiltrating people’s private moments) into the real world? As an immigrant from a country with a different standard of beauty, I was also interested in exploring the classically American definition of feminine beauty from the perspective of the female gaze. Taking these two experiments together, I made this film and found something relentless, twisted, disturbing, and obsessive. Though Ella’s world is extreme, it hangs on something incredibly prescient and grounded: It’s easy to envy and to get sucked into what we are told to want. And when image is king, we lose ourselves in our desire to chase it. I hope this film can make people laugh, feel disturbed, and spark some of these conversations.
– Noam Argov
Black and White Film Festival 