Sabra Binder
“Sabra Binder," by Valentina Moreno
We'd never been to Swingers Diner before. It's comforting. Red velvet leather seats. Hollywood Icons on the menu. It's wonderful. However, we weren't alone, joining us was director and photographer, Sabra Binder.
There were no expectations prior to meeting Binder, maybe it was the excitement of speaking with her, or the nervous jitters before doing something new. Yet, from the moment she approached our cornered booth it all washed away. She's a breath of fresh air: kind, present, and such an easy person to talk to.
No time was wasted.
From introductions to shared college experiences, each word resonated deeply. When you're not from Los Angeles or New York, your love for the arts feels somewhat different. There's a pull, a sense of disconnect when it comes to resting your feet on the ground. Your head is in the clouds and your hunger has no point of satisfaction.
Binder's journey with filmmaking has a tricky origin. Like many individuals, movies and photography have surrounded our everyday routines, so tracing it back to that first "this is what I want to do moment", is pretty difficult. It's rather a gut instinct that has subconsciously led you to this destined field.
"Sabra Binder," by Valentina Moreno
Looking at Binder's portfolio, it'd be easy to assume that her talent was something that came with ease. Effortless, something she sprung out of the womb with, but it's actually much more human than that. She had to hound her craft for years. Though her work has a sense of maturity now, there was a time when directing wasn't so prevalent in her life. It wasn't until about a couple of months ago that she fell back into directing, for years she'd been working behind-the-scenes. .
In college, she discovered that business wasn't cutting it anymore, the arts called her, loudly, and she decided to take a few classes surrounding that. In doing so, she felt a piece of herself being called to fully pursue this passion. In the midst of this decision, she moved to Los Angeles, unfortunately, the pandemic had just hit. From Airbnb horror stories, to restless nights, the passion persisted. It wasn't a daydream, but rather a genuine purpose. Binder's experience in LA felt straight out of a movie and one thing about our protagonist is that she's determined.
Mainly pursuing photography, she found herself balancing her voice and the talent's vision. With more and more practice, her art started communicating with many different people. Some people she's illustrated, beautifully, have been Willow Smith, Grace VanderWaal, and Suki Waterhouse.
Each image has a story. As an audience member you're fed. It speaks to you. She's not trying to be anybody but herself. The more and more we got to know her, this became very clear. From time to time, you see creatives trying to mimic or simply become someone they're not. Binder isn't like that. She's determined and perseveres despite the odds and obstacles placed in her way.
This forty-five minute conversation was splendid, not only for the delicious meal that we ate, but for the honest truths that we shared. It's never easy following your dreams, it's a long road filled with doubt, insecurity, and fear, but then there are moments. These kind of moments, the ones in between the chaos and the loudness, the ones where you realize that you are not alone in this creative path, that there are others who understand the kind of hard work that comes with the vision. It heals you and sets you free. Sabra Binder has this kind of ease to her, the type of personality that allows you to be honest with yourself, because she is being honest with you. She listens and she cares. Her creative journey and impact on the industry has only just begun, but with a mind and heart like hers, we cannot wait to see the art she will continue to create.
"Swingers," by Valentina Moreno
