Jocelyn Marquis, 2009JOCELYN MARQUIS - Biography
Jocelyn Marquis, 2009
Jocelyn Marquis was raised in San Francisco, and began film studies at City College of San Francisco at the age of 16. A teacher recognized her artistic potential and facilitated her enrollment in a program for gifted teens. Among her greatest influences were Chris Marker's "La Jetee," Maya Deren's "Meshes of the Afternoon" as well as the work of Luis Bunuel, Salvador Dali and David Lynch. Fascinated by the aesthetic considerations of the avant-garde, Ms. Marquis began to research art history and came across the novel "Difficult Death" by Rene Crevel. This would become a passion that lasted for over ten years, as she sought to find a methodology to bring this compelling but unusual piece of text to life on screen.
At age twenty, Jocelyn relocated to New York City, taking residence in the East Village and became active in the New York underground film community working as a cinematographer and camera assistant. Simultaneously, she produced events throughout the city which included curating and presenting films by local artists. Jocelyn directed and produced three short films: "SQUID (roe)" 1999, "Techno Opus 6" 2002, and "The Theory of Conservation of Energy" 2003. She was honored to have "...Conservation..." screened at Manhattan's prestigious Anthology Film Archives. Ms. Marquis holds Studio Art and Film Production degrees from Hunter College, City University of New York, 2003. She additionally studied acting at the renowned HB Studios and Atlantic Theater Company. She has studied with some of the finest artists, dramatists and film makers in America: her mentors include Roy Decarava, Michael Gitlin, Jay Rosenblatt, Doug Dibble, Robert Bella and Josh Pais.
Jocelyn was drawn to the novel "Difficult Death" mainly for the portrayal of the relationships: the tense and antagonistic relationship between a mother and child who have conflicting values in addition to the equally tense relationships with the lover and the close friend. "Everyone can relate to being in love with someone they can't have, so I think the love story and having to choose between two extremes is universal" she says. Drawn to the dark and subjective elements of Crevel's original work, Jocelyn felt in doing an adaptation she could continue working in an experimental style while developing a strong dramatic narrative, an enormous, but exciting challenge to her as an emerging director and as an actor.
She began to prepare the screenplay during her last year at college then continued rewriting it and presenting it to peers over the following two years while working full time and going to acting school at HB Studios and Atlantic Theater Company. Jocelyn has sited that studying acting not only prepared her to take on the role of Diane Blok in the film, but greatly enhanced her storytelling abilities as a screenwriter and director.
Jocelyn is currently living in New Orleans with her partner Matt and their son John. Jocelyn is preparing "Difficult Death" and joining together with other artists in what she describes as: "one of the most vibrant places on earth".
Links to Screenings and Exhibitions:
FLICKER Knitting Factory NYC, 2005 REELS OF MISCHIEF Cinema Classics NYC, 2004
DREAMSCAPEGOAT Collective Unconscious NYC, 2000