Press
Zia Mandviwalla Rounds Up Her Career With ‘Fashion Quarterly’
The Director's Path to 'Chef's Table'
Zia Mandviwalla knows what she wants. The FINCH director, who has helmed acclaimed commercials for brands such as Spark and BNZ, as well as mounting her own short films and directing two episodes of Chef’s Table, has a style entirely of her own.
Mixing humanity with a tactile, energised visual style – one that sweeps up poppy visuals and an antic sense of creativity — Mandviwalla is highly adept at discovering the undercurrent of life and joy that lies in any project.
But Mandviwalla’s road to her current style was not linear. Beginning her academic career with a jaunt through English Literature and history, she was initially interested primarily in screenwriting.
It was only when a good friend lent her a G3 Apple Mac and a 3 CCD camera that Mandviwalla discovered her talent wielding the lens, a lightning bolt moment that within a matter of years led to her acclaimed job after acclaimed job.
“I feel very lucky to have led a life where I have always been able to make my own choices and follow my heart,” Mandviwalla explained to Fashion Quarterly.
“For me, being able to make choices is fundamental to any sense of empowerment. Being able to make decisions about your own life is everything.”
Read the full interview on Fashion Quarterly here.