— Lisa Spilliaert
Lisa Spilliaert (b. 1990, Tokyo) lives and works in Ghent, Belgium.
Spilliaert's fascination with genealogy and the ongoing interplay between her cultural backgrounds are central themes in her autobiographically inspired work. Before turning to film, she trained as a photographer at the KASK School of Arts in Ghent, where she developed the visual sensibility that would later inform her cinematic practice.
In her debut film Hotel Red Shoes (2013), Spilliaert collaborates with her sister Clara, skilfully translating the depth and impact of her photographic work into the realm of moving images.
Her second video work, Growth Record #1 (2014), lays the foundation for a series of annual videos that chronicle a child's growth into adulthood, capturing the passage of time through both photography and film.
Spilliaert's films have been showcased at various film festivals, including the Image Forum Festival (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Yokohama), the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Art Cinema OFFoff (Ghent), and Beursschouwburg (Brussels).
Her feature film debut, N.P, premiered in the international competition at FID Marseille in 2020 and was subsequently screened at the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (UK), Literatur Film Festival Münster (Germany), Underdox Munich (Germany), and the Black Canvas Contemporary Film Festival (Mexico). In the autumn of 2021, the film had its premiere in Japan.