What was it like shooting in Tijuana, Mexico?

NICOLE VALENCIA (DIR): Shooting in Tijuana was an amazing experience. I grew up in Playas de Tijuana, the small beachside town where we shot Like Honey. We had no issues shooting in Playas. Our airbnb hosts knew we were shooting, were very helpful, and generally we had no issues at all. Maybe it’s because Playas is a small town, but people were curious and wanted to help out if they could. The experience was safe and fun.

What was it like working with the cast?

NICOLE VALENCIA (DIR): It was pretty incredible. Looking back, I had quite a large cast and crew and didn’t know how overwhelming it would be. My directing experience at that point had been shooting stills with models, so there was definitely a learning curve. That said, it was amazing to work with a range of talent. Some of my actors had been training professionally for years, while others were new to acting; some of them had never been on screen. Overall, I learned a lot from collaborating with everyone. It was particularly interesting to observe the more seasoned actors, and to learn how they built their character, how they approached their roles, etc. I know that working with some of my actors definitely elevated the work of other actors on set and my work as a director as well.

How many shooting days did you have?

NICOLE VALENCIA (DIR): We shot the film in four days, with no pickups or reshoots. It was important to me to make our days and specifically not to exceed 10 hours. I was starting out as freelance crew in LA and elsewhere during the IATSE strikes about conditions on set, and it has been important to me to keep hours and conditions humane, respectful, and safe. Because this was a passion project, I didn’t want people to feel rushed, burnt out, or miserable — I wanted our cast and crew to have fun and feel like they could ask questions and learn. That was important to me. My budget spiked adding an extra shoot day, but I now know after speaking to our cast and crew that the shooting experience was good for everyone, and because of that I think it was worth it to add that extra day.

Why the border?

NICOLE VALENCIA (DIR): I grew up on the border — it’s a weird place to be. Life is very in-between and feels different when you’re constantly crossing between countries. The funny thing is, there are borders all over the world and I know that my experience is far from unique — so I wanted to open up a dialogue about these kinds of stories. Additionally, as someone who is a US Citizen of Mexican descent, I am frustrated by the portrayal of Mexico in the media — it’s not all violence, corruption, and drug trafficking. There are definitely other stories to be told about Mexicans and Mexicans on the border, and I want to share this perspective with the world.

What’s next?

NICOLE VALENCIA (DIR): I am currently in production on a short I am shooting and directing called Angel, about a young woman who has a surrealistic encounter with the divine. I am also writing a lot, currently working on a feature film script and a couple of shorts that I am submitting to grants and labs. And of course, I am producing content via my production company so blur.