Reel Sisters: An eclipse and a room full of stars

This month's Reel Sisters was a special one. Not only did people experience a historical moment with the eclipse, but they also had the chance to come together for a drink, a chat and, most importantly, a bit of community and positive energy. There was something quite fitting about watching an eclipse and then hearing from people who have each had their own moments of stepping into the light.

This month was hosted by Cordelia Grossman, producer at Lucky Generals, who also has a brilliant eye for talent and a real curiosity for people's journeys within the industry. Grossman kicked off the evening by introducing the speakers and getting us into the stories behind the work.

First up was Sara Taleghani, who spoke about her journey from working as a consultant for food and medical businesses into becoming a director and photographer. Taleghani made the big leap into directing after being inspired by seeing a hijabi woman working on a Netflix show. It was one of those eye-opening moments where she realised: I can be in this industry too. From there, she went full force into pursuing what had been a childhood dream of becoming a director. She wrote herself a five-year plan… That plan turned into five months. After being made redundant, Taleghani took it as a sign to apply for a free six-week course for creatives. As part of the course, she had to make a two-minute film on her phone, which eventually led to her being scouted. But perhaps the most valuable lesson she took from that experience was that you have to love the craft and keep making. Even if it's just you and a skeleton crew. Even if you don't have all the resources. You should never stand still.

That is something Taleghani has continued to carry into her work, most recently through her football team, SISTERHOOD FC. Her point was simple: we are here because we love film and we love making things. The feeling of paralysis isn't unknown to anyone, but there is always a resource somewhere. There are always people who want to make something, collaborate and have fun with the process. Taleghani also shared some of her work, including projects made with Mother for IKEA Iftar and JD Sports.

We then followed the conversation with McCann Creative Directors Jessica Giles and Lauryn Raymond, who together showed some powerful work for This Girl Can, Dyslexic Thinking and Missing Managers - all topics that sit closely to their hearts.

Giles opened up about her professional upbringing which was heavily male-dominated, and made her even more keen to be a prominent presence in the room. She spent her first years in New York before transferring to London. She was only supposed to be here for two years, but she's still plotting around the London streets. She spoke about loving the vibrancy and balance of life in London and strongly believes that, as a creative, you have to be inspired outside of the office. That life outside of work will ultimately feed into the work you make. 

Giles also spoke about the importance of inclusivity from the idea creation all the way through to production to create work that is truly authentic. She also opened up about how valuable it is to have a workplace where parenthood is supported rather than something people feel they have to quietly work around. She mentioned how great it is to have a CEO who can say to the team that no one should feel like they have to sneak out of the office to pick up their child. That behaviour shouldn't be something you hide, it should be communal, normalised and supported. 

Raymond then talked about her own journey and the struggles she had with excelling at school. It was her mum who encouraged her to delve more into the arts, which eventually led her to take a design course. During an interview, her tutor asked why she wanted to pursue design over art. Her answer? “I want to buy a white Range Rover.” The audience found this pretty endearing, but there was also something quite brilliant about the honesty of it. It's a reminder to stay authentic to yourself, fortune can come from the most unexpected places. Lauryn went on to work at a health advertising agency, which gave her that first foot in the door. She kept doing what she loved and continued building her career, eventually finding herself at McCann, six years later. But even that wasn't necessarily the original plan. Her manager noticed that Raymond had the potential to be an excellent Art Director and encouraged her to take the leap. So she did. And sometimes that's all it takes - someone else seeing something in you before you're quite ready to see it yourself