On My Radar: Adriana Cruz

What is the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

Apple's The Greatest. People with disabilities rarely get the spotlight, and this ad does such an amazing job of showing each person’s personality and how multi-faceted humans are. It has emotion, but it’s mostly just fun. It’s shot beautifully and feels like a short film.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Besides the obvious social media platforms, I’m usually on Tappan Collective staring at art I can’t afford.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?

I bought screws to mount my TV, if we are counting simple machines as 'tech'. If we’re not, a new iPad so I could be paperless on set.

What product could you not live without? 

Lately, it’s been my Glossier Balm Dotcom. It comes tinted in fun colours so I feel like I’m wearing makeup, but it’s basically just chapstick. I’m never going to be a person that knows how to contour or how to place different eye shadow shades, like the diagrams that come with the palette, so this feels like a real win for me.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

Easily Triangle of Sadness and Everything Everywhere All At Once. Very different from each other, but both speak to the human condition in unique ways and have unexpected twists and are just visually lovely. The chaos of Everything Everywhere All At Once was such thoughtful chaos, and I think about it all the time.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Hot Rod. I selfishly want everyone to see it so they understand my frequent references to it. I also unselfishly want everyone to see it because it will make you smile.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Instagram. I like that it hasn’t deviated too much from its original conceit of sharing life through photos, even though people use it in ways that definitely deviated from it.

What’s your favourite TV show?

Probably The White Lotus. It’s fun, it keeps you guessing, the intermittent flute earworm. 30 Rock is probably my favourite show of all time because of how quick it is. I started watching it when I was 13 and dumb, so I’ve loved revisiting it throughout the years and discovering jokes I didn’t understand when I was a kid.

What’s your favourite podcast?

You Must Remember This is amazing. The season about Polly Platt is my favourite.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

Larry Owens’ Sondheimia. A beautiful tribute to Sondheim. We can often explain things we love or things that have inspired us, but it’s very rare we get to show how meaningful the things that shaped us are and have people feel the passion we feel for it. I got to experience Sondheim in a way I never had before and when Larry sang a deep cut or two that I didn’t know, it felt like a learning experience and I couldn’t wait to go home and discover more of Sondheim’s collection of work.

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?

SZA. Her new album is absolutely flawless and her first one has been my most listened to on Spotify for five years straight.