Camila Zapiola: A Few of My Favourite Things

Being a parent is hard. Period. Whether you’re the mom or the dad, the sleepless nights, the constant fear, and the pressure to be a fully present and loving parent are always there.

Deciding to become a mom as a female director felt terrifying - as if navigating life as a Latin female comedy director in the U.S. wasn’t challenging enough. 

I travel for work eight months a year and have no references for how to do this. Sure, I have a bunch of female director friends, but none of them had kids yet. Or maybe they had older kids when their careers took off… or hidden kids I didn’t know about. 

It’s a taboo subject, as female directors have only started to gain more visibility in recent years.

My baby, Félix, was born eight months ago, and life has been good. He has already travelled with me from Argentina to LA, Madrid, Mexico, and Uruguay. We’ve done five jobs together, with more on the way (not even counting the ones he did with me in the womb). 

My work now feels like a holiday from the mom job, and I honestly enjoy it more. I’ve never felt more creative or efficient - time is too precious now, so I don’t waste it on nonsense.

Motherhood and directing are a surprisingly great combo.

The Babycam

This is how I check in on my little one and my full-time nanny. 

Let’s be real - no one’s pulling superhero moves here, so OF COURSE I have a full-time nanny. 

Her name is Rocio, and she travels with us everywhere we go. 

She is part of the family and my right hand. 

She’s a film geek as well, so she loves bringing Félix to set during the lunch break. 

This is especially useful on long shoot days when I leave early in the morning and return when he’s already asleep. 

A quick cuddle, and I’m back to set with a smile.

The Husband

You do not see him in my Zoom calls, but he is always there, just off-screen, listening to every word.

Guido is my producer, and we have been working together since 2017. 

We travel the world for shoots, celebrate wins, and now navigate parenthood as a team. 

Having someone you trust 100 percent in your corner makes all the difference. 

And yes, he is also on Félix duty during flights - team effort all the way.

The Digital Notes

This is my creative playground. 

As soon as I get a script that clicks, I start dumping thoughts, jokes, and ideas with no filter. 

Good scripts, for me, are the ones I can see playing out in my mind from the first read.

At night, when I am most creative, Félix takes his sweet time to fall asleep, and I have found this to be incredibly useful. 

The silence of the night, just me and my thoughts, replaying scripts in my mind, brings the best ideas. 

Many nights, I am typing away with one hand while rocking my son to sleep with the other. 

You can thank Félix’s insomnia for the good jokes in my treatments now.

The Strasberg Notebook

Not many people know this, but when I was graduating from film school and shooting my final thesis film, I realised I did not know how to talk to actors. I was working with great actors, knowing exactly what I wanted from them, but not knowing how to get it. 

That is when I decided to move to New York and study acting at The Lee Strasberg Institute, where I graduated as an actress as well.

I learned more about directing at Strasberg than in film school. In acting school, you learn how to analyse a script beat by beat, how to read between the lines, and how to make every action have an organic intention. 

You constantly have to build scenes and direct them truthfully for them to work. And isn’t that what every director does when they receive a script from an agency?

My specialty is directing actors. I landed in comedy because it felt natural in this industry, but I love directing emotional scripts just as much. I love working with actors across every tone, every genre, and every script I get. 

Right now, I am shooting a dog commercial, and the puppy’s acting is just as important as a human’s to me. Directing performance, whether human, animal, or even props, is my passion. I am proud that my work reflects this because very few directors truly understand it unless they have been actors themselves.

I keep this notebook close, and sometimes, when I travel, I reread it. 

It reminds me of tools that come in handy for every treatment or job.

The Toucan

I picked this up at an art fair in Berlin. 

It is my daily reminder to get to the point. 

Over-talking, especially in this industry, kills comedy and authenticity. 

This toucan and its 'Keep it short' message help me stay sharp when working on notes or treatments.