"The sound of water running along the river. The mist in the air, the smell of wet soil. A huge waterfall. That's my first memory from the very first picture I took. I was 6. The waterfall, if seen today, is probably not as huge and imponent as it seems at that time. But the feeling of my heart racing as I wound the film is still the same. 23 years later, I feel it every time I touch a camera. With some extra baggage and experience now, I look at the world differently. In every set, every new project, dealing with different kinds of people. The waterfall comes back to my mind: as nature, human beings are complex and require empathy and patience to make themselves comprehensible. And that is part of my goal. To create and help others visualize what sometimes is inside them. To make my vision theirs, and vice-versa."

Fernanda Mantoan is a Cinematographer, Camera Operator, Colorist and Storytelles from Brazil, based in New York.