MALENA HELDMANN
Cluster Exhibitor | Photography & Print Fair 2022
Malena Heldmann is a multidisciplinary designer and art director with a background in communication design. Having completed her Bachelors in Berlin, Malena went on and dived into various fields of creation and broadened her horizons by working in creative agencies in different surroundings such as New York and Shanghai. Gaining expertise in art direction while partnering with diverse brands from concept to execution fostered Malena’s desire to specialize in this area further. She has recently completed her Masters in Art Direction at the University of Arts in London. Today, with expertise in both conception and creation, Malena works in a multidisciplinary role, from developing design solutions all the way to execution.
Malena’s practice mainly consists of artistic direction, moving imagery, photography, branding, and storytelling. Driven by her interest in complex human-centered and psychological themes, Malena’s work often challenges the collective understanding of contemporary society and mainstream consciousness.
Have you ever wondered why mother nature created this mysterious thing called dream sleep? Why we dream, and if the theater of the unconscious has any function?
The short film NOCTURNAL MYSTERIES is a metaphorical tale of a person’s stormy inner world – part reality, part dream – struggling with the widespread fear of not being good enough. The protagonist’s chaotic waking mind is interrupted by a dream that reveals the actor’s complex interior world. This journey into the subconscious allows a young woman’s pent-up feelings to surface and be processed, regulating negative emotions. Thereby, the short film's scenes are based on psychological insights from both expert interviews and independent research.
The heart of the project lies in the film’s profound psychological meaning and abstraction, allowing the audience to interpret the film as they would do with their own dreams.
A project inspired by the book Why We Sleep (2018) by Matthew Walker.