Between Walls

Erika Cantrell, SFCC filmmaking student, photographed while experimenting with light and framing in the new Daylight Studio on October 1, 2025. The setup between two black walls created a tunnel-like effect that reflected her journey and creative vision as a future director.

Erika Cantrell has lived a lot of life before ever touching a camera. Growing up poor, she learned early how to make things work with very little. At 21, she started a family. By 24, she was serving in the Army. At 29, she began her transition, a huge step that took courage and honesty. Then, at 40, her wife and kids left, and she had to start over once again.

It’s a lot to carry, but Erika doesn’t let it weigh her down. Instead, she brings it into her art. Every hard moment, every rebuild, has become part of how she sees the world and how she wants to tell stories through film.

Now, as a filmmaking student at SFCC, Erika is finding her voice behind the camera. Her dream is to direct, and one day write and create her own movie, something that, like Star Wars, comes straight from the imagination and connects with people on a deep level. She looks up to George Lucas not just for his success, but for how he took one idea and turned it into a universe. That’s the kind of storytelling she wants to do, something lasting, something real.

In this photo, Erika stands between two black walls. The light catches her just right, creating the feeling of a tunnel, dark on both sides, but open ahead. It fits her story perfectly. After everything she’s been through, she’s still moving forward, still creating, still dreaming.

For Erika, filmmaking isn’t just a career path. It’s a way to turn all those lived moments, the tough ones, the hopeful ones, into something meaningful. Her journey reminds us that even when life narrows down to dark walls, there’s always a way forward, and sometimes that light ahead is your own story waiting to be told.