We had the pleasure of sitting with Shandiin Tome to talk about her journey as a filmmaker. It was evident that she was an experienced story teller who has no problem kicking her ego aside for the sake of her work. She’s full of sage wisdom and her visual instincts are stunning. She visited our small studio where we took some photos, drank coffee and found out who could type faster. Era is so excited to see where her career will take her in the future!

How would you define yourself?

“I’m Shandiin Tome and I am Dińe, Navajo. I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and…”

She pauses to reflect and then says in an even tone,

“I am a filmmaker.“

What do you do?

“I direct and I’m a cinematographer as well. Trying to get more into writing but I do a lot of different stuff from commercial shoots to personal projects to documentaries and narratives. A lot of people in film pick one role, and I’m not one of those. No matter what I’m doing my focus is to tell indigenous narratives. It keeps your film muscle going when you change your roles.”

“It’s weird, in our generation we have been taught to be a one man band. Because of technology we’re forced to know everything. I think in that way, as individuals we’ve had to become more talented. I know older generations say,”

She points her finger imitating an elderly person,

“‘If you don’t practice one thing, you won’t be good at one thing.’ It takes a certain mind to be born into a world and to try and make it better. Finding the people you can trust with your vision is important. I like not being the director too and getting to interpret someone else’s vision in my own way.”

Shaandiin’s work has found its way to some impressive heights. Her projects have appeared in Vox, National Geographic, Vice and many more. In 2020, she was the Director of Photography for a documentary titled Radioactive. The film covers the biggest radioactive spill in US history which happened on the Navajo Nation in 1979 (check it out below).

How did you get started?

“I used to take my mom’s camcorder and make films with my brothers and cousins. I think my cousins started it off. I remember being at their house when they were making a film called “The Robber.” It was so cool to watch them make it. Then we made “The Robber 2” together. It didn’t turn out as good but it was a challenge.”

Above: Little Shandiin and her grandparents.

Where did you grow up?

“I lived in a suburb of Denver a good portion of my life, but every holiday we would come down to Albuquerque and Navajo Nation. We had nothing to do so we would make films. It was a good pastime, something to do in the hot New Mexico and Arizona summers.“

“It got to the point where I was going to make “The Robber 3.” I digitized some VHS tapes and I found my incomplete version of it. It was a vlog. I was like,”

She impersonates little Shandiin, holding her hands up like a camera,

“‘Hi I’m Shaandiin. I’m the Director and it’s better than “The Robber 2.’”

She laughs.

“I had a lot of confidence when I was in 3rd grade. I even made title cards.”

What’s been your most fulfilling job so far?

She holds her hands together in her lap.

“Ohh that’s a good question. The most recent one was a difficult task. I co-directed with Rayka Zehtabchi. We’re both really strong-headed. We made a film about indigenous people in Northern California and battled with how to create celebration in indigenous life and indigenous narrative. It was an exciting challenge. We had to go to bat with the finances and money people to make it happen. Exploring the traumatic past of that story was a challenge, we wanted a celebration! It was difficult to listen and understand and not to ruin an image of a family. They are so pristine that you don’t want to mess it up. There is a challenge there, holding yourself accountable for a lot and trying to think larger than yourself. I think as an artist there’s a tendency to place yourself in the work too much, to think that you gave yourself this role of power. With this film we really had to step back and think of the grand scheme of things. We’re so little compared to the entire history of the Yurok and Karuk people. Taking a step back and realizing you are not the most important thing is a good practice.”

What was the most challenging thing you’ve overcome?

“On a personal note, thinking of myself as an artist or a ‘filmmaker’ has been challenging. There has always been an imposter syndrome in the arts. Especially coming from a family that doesn’t do art so much. It’s important to make money and it’s difficult because film is so exploitative. It takes advantage of people that want to be filmmakers. Having the finances to do it is a challenge. I remember being in that place right after I graduated college, feeling like I was never going to get out of this loop and figure out my life outside of film. Just living and making money was a challenge. There’s always that tendency to think that I have to sacrifice everything for film. I have slowly gotten over that and really tried to keep a balance in my life and I’m a lot happier because of it. Before, everything was relying on the fact that I could call myself a filmmaker. If I didn’t land a job I’d be completely heart broken and I couldn’t call myself an artist. I had to learn to let go of the rejections and not take it personally. It was really hard, realizing that just because you aren’t the right person for a job doesn’t mean you aren’t an artist.”

“It’s a huge thing I’m still dealing with. A lot of film exploits people’s time and energy and it takes advantage of people who idolize it. Like, ‘Oh you think this is cool, we are going to work you 16 hours a day.’”

“If that happened in any other industry you would immediately be stopped. There are a lot of productions like that, but I always try to make sure everyone is taken care of. I’ve learned that from my partner who’s an actor. He values his personal life so much because he knows he needs to in order to do his job. If it wasn’t for him, I would be stuck in the same mentality where I would have to wreck myself.“

“You have to break cycles and think about so many people because if you ask for one thing, that means that someone is going to stay up all night making a prop and they won't have the sleep you have.”

How do you cope with nerves?

“I’ve found that exercise really helps me and writing my thoughts down really helps me. Taking a moment to breathe and call my mom. I have a really bad problem with getting overly emotional about things and I’m not good at talking especially when it comes to problems I’m having. I think communication is important, but I often cry and am not able to communicate how I feel, so sometimes I think anything to avoid that is the best thing.”

“I was definitely nervous before we did the first shoot on this documentary. Because of the pandemic I hadn’t met the family in person. I try to be as calm and collected as possible but then I also have a funny type of nervous energy that people can laugh at. Whenever people are laughing I think it’s a good thing even if the joke’s on me.”

Who inspires you?

My whole family for different reasons. My mom is a big inspiration because she put her life aside for my brothers and I, and only now is doing what she wanted. She’s a power house and so strong. I strive to be like that but I don’t think I have the confidence. She has been so supportive through everything, even if I’m wrong. It took dedication to raise us. My brothers are so creative and loved. They have kept me in a safe space when I’ve doubted myself. They know how to make me feel more relaxed, which I love, or how to make me laugh.”

She smiles.

“My partner has taught me so much about myself and who I strive to be. How to have the best moral compass and how to want things for the right reasons. In the tiniest way if it feels off, he won’t do it or he’ll call someone out. I’ve always been taught to ‘shut up’ and ‘don’t say anything’ and ‘be quiet and accept it’ and not to make people feel bad. He has taught me how to stand up for how I’m feeling and I’ve learned how that can affect other people. I really strive for that now.”

She stops and watches me type.

“What’s your typing speed?”

I’m not sure.

“Okay, take this test.”

She sends me a website to check and we take turns. She admits:

“70 words per minute on a good day, not bad. I’d say I coast a good 65. One day I’ll be at 80. You’re on 85, that’s awesome!”

What’s something you want to remind yourself in 10 years?

“Oh shit…”

She laughs.

“Uhh in 10 years, I guess to enjoy what I am doing. I hope I remember that I don’t have to suffer in order to do something great. You’re at your most creative when you’re having a good time. Often I get flustered and angry when I’m making a film and it’s usually because there’s internal pressure to make the best film ever, or because I want people to reach higher. But I think realizing that if you’re going to make a good film, having the rest of the cast and crew be proud of what they are making is important too. Because it’s not just yours.“

What is one thing you haven’t done that you wish you could?

“I can’t wait to make a feature film. I can’t imagine really investing myself in a world I’ve created and believing in it and having other people work on it for 2 months at a time. I can’t wait but I’m also really scared. It will happen. I want it to be fun and I want to be proud of it. That’s probably why I haven’t made one yet, because I’m scared I’m going to fuck it up. I want people to say, ‘Wow she did a lot for her first one.’ Your first feature, that’s the most untouched you can get as a filmmaker. Literally your whole passion put into whatever it is. It’s hard to move forward from that point. That’s why I love shorts because you don’t have funding usually and it’s people’s passion put into it. You usually have to cater to a lot of people’s wishes to make it happen.”

What’s on the horizon for you?

“Writing and not just working on other people’s stuff. Ever since I made my first short narrative film, I’ve been on this trajectory of making things and documenting. I’m happy but I really can’t wait to have time to sit down and write. I’m not creative if I have a lot to do. If I have to spend too much time on the business side of film, I get stuck. I’ve been saying no to a lot more so I can give myself more time to be creative. I’m getting to a point where I’m more stable financially which is exciting! I have a feature that I’m wanting to finish and I want to make another narrative short to get back into that world. I have a series I’m working on. I think since the last thing I made was so emotionally draining I’ve been afraid of writing for a while because I know it can bring me to dark places. That being said, I’m healthier now and I’m excited to put things into the world that aren't just sad.”

Shandiin has a vibrant smile that stretches across her face. Her energy is like being home after a long trip.

“When you’re writing, every single part of you is in the process. I don’t know how people write without that deep personal connection. It’s always a struggle to get notes or criticism, it’s easy to feel attacked. It helps to keep in mind that it’s all for the benefit of the story, not just for you.”

You can view more of Shandiin’s work at https://www.shaandiin.com or on instagram at @shaandiin.

Edited by Sonya Burke.
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