Meet the Finalist: Rodney Roldan, "Remembering Private Quagliano"

Tell us about yourself, and about Remembering Private Quagliano.

I was excited after being notified of my selection as a finalist in the category for Best Documentary Short for the New York Film Awards annual nominations. A little about myself, I was born in New York, NY, served in the Navy for ten years active duty, and am currently a Soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve, a film and stage actor, and a filmmaker. Receiving this nomination for my film, "Remembering Private Quagliano" means a lot to me in that it brings attention to projects focusing on World War II veterans that made a difference in not only in our country, but in other nations around the world.

Share a memorable moment you experienced working on this project.

One the most memorable moments I had working on this project, was when I was interviewing one of the subjects while in Bad Orb, Germany, the site of the Nazi prison camp, stalag IXB. While scouting out a location to shoot the interview, I took a moment to take in what I thought the prisoners of war, would be going through as far as the physical torture and how thoughts would seep in their head about their families across the Atlantic. I missed my home while I was there and I was only there for a few weeks. These service members were denied several liberties, starved to death, and experienced both physical and mental torture. The resilience and bravery they embodied was phenomenal.

Name 3 collaborators that you'd take with you to any other project.

If i was to work on another project I would collaborate with one of my fellow soldiers, James Garvin, my daughter Catalina, and American filmmaker Ken Burns. James is a very creative filmmaker and phenomenal photographer. His eye for unique shots is intriguing. My daughter Catalina is a very talented artist herself and also has a very interesting outlook in social change. One of the projects we discussed possibly doing is something relating to climate change. As for Ken Burns, his work and reputation says it all. I've always loved history and storytelling. His work has always grabbed my attention from the beginning and left me wanting to learn and discover more.

3 tips you’d like to share with aspiring artists in your field:

If I was to offer three tips for aspiring artists in the field it would be to:

1. Never let anyone place your creativity in a box. These are changing times in our society and the answer to a lot of the problems in society come from what we show our audiences through art. Art cannot exist without creativity having free rein.

2. If you are going to produce your own work, have patience and take the time to live in each moment of the process. At the end you learn to appreciate the finished product.

3. Understand that there will be a lot of sacrifice in this career field, such as financial, time with family and friends, and work commitments. Balance what's important to you.

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next 5 years?

Over the next 5 years I hope to work on several additional film projects, land a re-occurring role in a television series, and have another child.

Remembering Private Quagliano is nominated for Best Documentary Short of the Year at the New York Film Awards.