Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Kristian Mercado

Award-winning filmmaker Kristian Mercado has emerged as one of the distinct voices of his generation. His art has addressed issues of identity, family, and systematic oppression across race and class, and crossed several different mediums.

His latest project, Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman, finds him teaming up with with the legendary comedian to shine light and joy during these difficult times.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Kristian about his career, Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman, and what’s next for him.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Kristian: It’s always been part of my life. My family has always been avid consumers of media—film in particular. It’s always brought our family together. I have a pretty complicated family, but I feel like anytime we watched a film together it brought union to our family. It was a beautiful thing. I was always drawn to it because of that.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Kristian: That’s a good question. Alfonso Cuarón has always been someone whom I’ve always admired a lot. I’ve always been drawn to his films and his trajectory. He’s created a diverse body of work, but his films always have a traumatic connection somewhere within them or they speak to something larger.

I feel like that’s always been something that I found inspirational. Sidney Lumet is someone else whom I admire a lot. He knows how to make a movie. He’s really good at film. There’s something about him. I loved reading Sidney Lumet’s book. I feel like I’ve watched his body of work a lot. He’s done forty films. He has a really diverse range of films. It’s cool to see someone who could throw out Dog Day Afternoon and The Wiz.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Kristian: I think it’s when I got to direct Hannibal Buress’ comedy special. That was a big breakout moment for me because it was cool to make something that was different in the comedy space. It was an exciting time. It was also my first long-form piece. It was cool to look at a comedy special from a different perspective.

PC: You’ve been a part of this industry for almost a decade now. What’s one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you started your career?
Kristian: That I should have started earlier. I feel like I’ve always worked towards this, but I wish I had jumped onto the film festival circuit a bit earlier in my life. It’s almost like the fertilizer of film. It’s where things grow and where things start for a lot of people.

There are a lot of ways to explore how you find your voice or find your work. But for me, I discovered a lot of what I wanted to say or what I wanted to do within the film festival community by being a part of it.

I wish I had started when I was eighteen. It would have been interesting to find out about that then. I ended up finding out about it a little bit later in life.

PC: Tell us about Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman and what audiences can expect.
Kristian: It’s a cool special. Audiences can expect Phoebe Robinson’s unique perspective on her life and the pandemic and a bit of mental health in there as well. She tackles a broad range of things that are relevant but from a really funny, unique perspective.

She has an iconic vibe. When people watch this special, they’ll feel like it’s a bit of a journey. They’ll enjoy it. I recommend people go watch it. It’s on HBO Max.

PC: What was it like collaborating with her?
Kristian: It was awesome. She’s very, very collaborative. She had a really strong set with a very distinct voice. She was very encouraging in terms of my exploring how a comedy venue space could be used or even what the cinematography could look like. A lot of what we were looking for was finding joy and renewal in this difficult situation that we’re in. We’re trying really hard to create something that feels like a rebirth. That was something we talked a lot about—and this idea of blossoming.

PC: What do you hope audiences take away after they see the special?
Kristian: Comedy is really important because life is so difficult on a day-to-day basis. Having a moment to laugh at the absurdity is such a beautiful thing. I hope that audiences walk away feeling a little bit better about their day–that they find a little joy in these difficult times and maybe even feel seen. That’s important. A lot of her material resonates. It’s a unique perspective that needs to be celebrated more.

PC: Besides the special, what’s next for you?
Kristian: I’m working towards a couple of things. I’ve got a lot of projects that I can’t really talk about quite yet. But there’s at least one that I can talk about that I’m developing as an animated feature. It’s called Nuevo Rico. It took the festival world by storm and has won at a bunch of festivals recently, which I’m really, really honored by. We’re looking at that and figuring out what the next step is. It’s a lot of figuring out. It’ll be a long burn, but it’s exciting.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Kristian: The Bachelor. It’s a weird barometer for where American culture is.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Kristian: Weekend at Bernie’s. It’s a fun one. It’s just goofy as hell.

PC: Favorite book?
Kristian: I really like Malcolm X’s autobiography. I’ve always loved that book. It’s the story of a man who transformed quite a few times in his life. It’s such an intimate portrait of someone who had a strong belief in something and fought a lot for what he believed in. It was a really transformative book for me when I was younger. It left a lasting impression.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Kristian: Chicago.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Kristian: System of a Down.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Kristian: Harvey Guillén.

To keep up with Kristian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Phoebe Robinson: Sorry, Harriet Tubman on HBO Max today.

Photo Credit: Storm Santos