Meet Hope Lopez, a visionary filmmaker and activist who is reshaping the landscape of comedic representation through her nonprofit production company, Moonlight Comedy Productions. With a multicultural background and a deep understanding of intersectionality, Hope’s journey from a teenager struggling with identity erasure to a confident advocate for authentic storytelling reflects a profound commitment to empowerment and inclusivity. In this interview, she shares her insights on vulnerability, the transformative power of art, and her mission to dismantle oppressive ideologies in the entertainment industry.
Can you share a bit about your personal journey and how it led you to start these creative ventures?
My journey is unique. My English/Irish Grandma married a Samoan man, raised five children, and emigrated from Christchurch, New Zealand to the States. After a divorce, she had my Mom with my Grandpa who is from Chihuahua, Mexico. My Mom then met my Dad who is from Tangamandapio, Michoacán and had me in Fountian Valley, California. I always say the same script to people who ask me what I am. I’m a quarter New Zealand and seventy-five percent Mexican. I’m mixed. I don’t need an ancestry test to see I have dark curls, a curved nose, thicker body, brown almond eyes, and light skin. The responses vary between complete acceptance of my identity to absolute denial. Ni aqui, ni alla. Similar to Gloria Anzaldúa, I live in the borderlands.
This multicultural background gave me a particular perspective in which I was hyperaware of all the material effects of systems of oppression in American society. Not only that, but this internalized oppression also caused me to assimilate and have a severe case of identity erasure. As an adult, I’m able to self-reflect and realize why that is. It’s the intergenerational trauma of slavery, colonialism, and genocide of my ancestors. However, as a teenager I just wanted to belong, and I could intuitively tell that society wasn’t in my favor. This was reinforced in every single piece of media I consumed. Towards the end of my high school career, I was faced with a decision of what I wanted to do in life. There was intense pressure for me to go into STEM but that wasn’t where my passion lay. Despite criticism, I decided to concentrate on screenwriting and production management in college. Being a lifelong writer, I thought I would create my own space through complex and intersectional characters. That’s how I took my first steps towards my career as a filmmaker and activist. It starts with a vision.
Could you describe a pivotal moment or experience that significantly impacted your approach to storytelling and representation in media?
As a young teenager, moving from San Pedro to Orange County was a huge culture shock and had the biggest impact on my life. I knew nobody and looked like no one. This caused me to assimilate completely from straightening my hair every day to developing an eating disorder in order to adhere to the thin, White beauty standard. I had to be perfect in every way so no one would question my capabilities or existence. In high school, I took 13 A.P. classes while working part-time at Dunkin’, volunteering for multiple organizations, and taking courses at Santiago Community College all while getting out-patient treatment for my eating disorder.
Needless to say, I was taking advantage of every opportunity as possible even in a time of great adversity. Moving to a more affluent area gave me more opportunity than ever to dream outside the box. Instead of dreaming of what was realistic (like my previous goal of owning a Mexican restaurant), I could now envision myself as a filmmaker making tangible change towards my community. This growth of perspective was not instantaneous but gradual. It took me years of self-actualization and listening to Alan Watts to realize this truth.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs or creators who are passionate about promoting diversity and inclusivity in their work?
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, especially when you are in a position of power. It’s freeing to be vulnerable. It’s what makes us human. It will only strengthen your work and build authentic relationships.
It takes courage to walk through the world and actively go against the hegemonic status quo. Stand up and be your biggest advocate because sometimes our voice is the only power we have. We also have to recognize our privilege because not everyone will have the same experience. If you are a White woman, advocate for women-of-color. If you are a light-skinned woman-of-color, advocate for dark-skinned women-of-color. If you are able-bodied, advocate for the disabled. There is a myriad of ways for someone to dismantle internalized oppressive ideologies in Oneself. A way of doing so is to being courageously vulnerable.
Can you share any upcoming projects or initiatives that your audience can look forward to from Moonlight Comedy Productions and Let’s Get Creative?
Maria Fe Picar and I are the creators of a nonprofit production company called Moonlight Comedy Productions! We strive to bring intersectional representation to the comedic space through complex and multidimensional characters. We don’t want future generations to feel like they have to assimilate or have identity erasure from a lack of representation. This is the reason why we made the company. Our first project, Moonlight Comedy, is a show that makes commentary about the absurdity of human nature through a hybrid format consisting of sketches and an interview.
Think SNL mixed with Between Two Ferns and Portlandia. It’s quirky, eccentric, and absolutely absurd! We are currently fundraising and accepting donations to conceptualize and actualize Moonlight Comedy. The other production company I’m a co-owner of is Let’s Get Creative with Antonio Moten. This is a podcast which interviews emerging creatives and takes a deep dive into their artistic endeavors. There’s so much talent in the world and that’s what we are here to highlight.
How do you stay inspired and motivated during challenging times in your journey?
What keeps me endlessly inspired is the fact that the process of filmmaking is not about me. It will never be. It’s about character. Removal of the ego is necessary in order to create something vulnerable and real. It’s more of a spiritual realization that fundamentally changes the way you create art. I like to think this ego death is what Michelangelo experiences while uncovering a statue from marble.
A feeling of One with the Universe. During challenging times, I’ve learned that this belief helps me to be mindful of the now and radically accept reality for what it is. There are so many distractions from the external world and internal fears that prevent an artist from realizing this epiphany. This is a reminder to all artists that it’s not about you. However, you can still find yourself and achieve Enlightenment through the process of creating art.
Lastly, what legacy do you hope to leave through your work with Moonlight Comedy Productions and Let’s Get Creative podcast?
My team and I hope to change the way intersectional individuals are portrayed in the comedic space. During my college years, there was an academic paper that stuck with me. It was about how humor creates a power dynamic in which there’s an in-group (who knows the joke) and out-group (who doesn’t know the joke).
Those who know the joke are privy to the information while those who don’t are “othered”. Humor is a powerful tool more than people think. Images are powerful. So powerful that it shapes a person’s worldview and ideological beliefs about certain identities. When there’s a lack of representation, this implies that our voices are not important enough to be seen or heard. Moonlight Comedy and Let’s Get Creative aims to go against the status quo and give talented filmmakers an opportunity to create something that is representative of themselves. Most of all, we want to give people the confidence to live authentically and without the fear of being “othered”.
You can learn more about Hope below:
www.moonlightcomedyproductions.com.
The Let’s Get Creative podcast is on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4pQ8rcWV2tdfSNGpaZmIeh?si=dea73310f70e4a09
www.hope-lopez.com. All social media handles are @hbalopez.
