Netti Hurley
Director, Stink Rising
Netti Hurley, Director, Stink Rising
What does it mean to be a woman? It’s a question that fascinates Stink Rising director Netti Hurley, both personally and professionally. “There’s a fixed imprint of what society thinks it’s like to be a woman, but the reality is completely multifaceted and changes all the time,” she says. The diversity of femininity permeates her reel, from commercial projects for brands like Stella McCartney, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger, to music videos and short films.
Based between the UK and Mexico, Netti got into filmmaking via photography. “I loved the fact you could capture a story in an image, it’s an opportunity to explore subjects more intimately. Filmmaking is an extension of that.” She made her film debut courtesy of poet Caleb Femi, who invited her to direct Coping, a poignant short about young Black men dealing with grief.
As photography morphed from a personal hobby into paid commissions, she also began creating branded motion work alongside stills. “I’ve been really lucky, with all my commercial jobs, I’ve been allowed to be myself,” she says. Her biggest job to date – Land for Adidas x Stella McCartney – was a case in point, with full control of casting, she was able to channel her diverse, future-facing perspective and properly represent people. “It’s really important that what we do in the commercial space is pushing the world forward,” she explains.
Despite the fact she’s “still developing my craft – it’s constantly such a steep learning curve,” Netti’s aesthetic feels like that of a much more seasoned filmmaker. Portraying intimate truths with a delicate sensitivity and a documentarian’s eye, it’s no surprise she counts filmmakers Claire Denis and Andrea Arnold among her sources of creative inspiration. “I like to feel that you’re close to your subjects,” she explains. “I’m addicted to intimacy.”
Netti is continuing to challenge feminine norms with two upcoming projects. Women Walking, a motion and stills project for Brother model agency (inspired by Helmut Newton’s iconic 1981 photograph), evolves the concept of Newton’s “strong women” through commercially unconventional imagery. “I’m bored by the way the commercial industry presents women in the same way. The beautiful thing about being a woman is how multifaceted it is and I would love my commercial work to represent this. Why can’t a crying woman sell a handbag? There’s a lot of power in vulnerability.”
Also on the slate is her short film Kneaded, co-written with a sex worker, which examines essential human needs through the prism of friendship between two working girls, one of whom is a baker by night. Collaboration was key to telling the story in the most authentic way. “If I’m telling a story about a particular world, it’s vital that I include someone from that world.” The film also reflects Netti’s rebellion against society’s value judgements: “I think people should be given space in order to live freely,” she says. Through her work as a filmmaker and commercials director, she is creating that space and driving forward her vision for a more open, malleable future.
Interview by: Selena Schleh
