Naje Lataillade
- Cinematographer
- Writer
- Editor
Naje Lataillade was raised in San Ysidro, California, a few kilometers
away from the Mexican border. As a teenager his goal was to make it to
the NFL and become a star wide receiver. Naje lettered in his first year
at UCLA but soon found himself disconnected with sports and more
interested in academics. He quit the team abruptly in the middle of his
sophomore year to focus on scholastics, double majoring in Economics
and Political Science.
In 1998 Naje started making experimental films with a digital 8 camera he received as a birthday present. He ended up shooting a few shorts that went on to win awards at film festivals. In 2003 he received a fellowship award to study cinematography at the Filmakademie in Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany.
Lataillade took a break from filmmaking in 2009 to get his master's degree in science education. He would teach 7th and 8th grade science for the next five years at Manhattan's School of the Future, a public school in New York City. He returned to filmmaking in 2014.
In 1998 Naje started making experimental films with a digital 8 camera he received as a birthday present. He ended up shooting a few shorts that went on to win awards at film festivals. In 2003 he received a fellowship award to study cinematography at the Filmakademie in Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany.
Lataillade took a break from filmmaking in 2009 to get his master's degree in science education. He would teach 7th and 8th grade science for the next five years at Manhattan's School of the Future, a public school in New York City. He returned to filmmaking in 2014.