Clara Haizlett

About Clara Haizlett

I tell stories — using words, sound and the moving image. I gravitate towards stories that revolve around people, the natural world and the relationship that exists between them.

My work is greatly inspired by my upbringing. I grew up on a farm in the northern panhandle. My mother homeschooled me and my six siblings, allowing us the freedom to spend ample time in the outdoors and pursue our creative interests. From an early age, I developed the core values that inspire my work today: creativity, community, education, and the natural world.

When crafting a character-driven narrative, I spend as much time off-camera as I can with my subject. I strive to not only tell a story, but to build sustainable, genuine relationships. This is my favorite part of the process. After gathering the story out in the field, I work from behind a screen to maneuver the various components into a cohesive narrative that both captivates and resonates. I strive to make honest stories that truly engage the audience, allowing them to slow down and contemplate the life – human or otherwise – that exists within and around them.

Biography

Hi! I’m an emerging filmmaker and freelance journalist from Bethany, West Virginia. I produce, shoot and direct documentary films and have collaborated with organizations like PBS and the Smithsonian Folklife. I also produce radio stories and write human interest stories for state-wide news like West Virginia Public Broadcasting and international outlets like The Guardian. I’m primarily based in the northern panhandle but you’ll often find me on the road. I love to collaborate with other filmmakers and I’m currently working with West Virginian and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon on a feature length film. Last year, I was an artist-in-residence at the University of Utah’s Taft-Nicholson Environmental Humanities Center. I’ll be a Deep Ecology fellow at United Plant Savers this summer. I’m also an FAA certified drone pilot.I’m mostly self-taught in all things video (with a big help from YouTube tutorials and kind editors). I graduated from West Virginia University in 2019 with a double major in International Relations and World Languages. With a background in International Relations and professional proficiency in Arabic and Spanish, I strive to lift up voices of diversity in my stories.