NRLC: Congratulations on winning the National Right to Life video contest! Can you share with us the inspiration behind your winning video and the message you aimed to convey?
Genesis Linares: Thank you! The inspiration behind this video comes directly from nature and what God creates, what we can see day after day and from the physical and emotional process that humans and nature itself have to go through. The message is to appreciate the lives that are still developing, because everyone loves the good results in the processes, but nobody values the process itself and what you have to live to see a great result.
NRLC: From where do you take inspiration?
GL: God. God gives me talent, He gives me creativity and I put it into action, so who inspires me is Him.
NRLC: Creating a compelling video requires a combination of technical skills and creativity. Could you walk us through your creative process? How did you approach scripting, filming, and editing to effectively communicate your ideas and engage the audience?
GL: It all started with a poem, the poem was turned into a monologue and from there I went basically to what I was going to see in front of the screen. After recording and looking for footage on the internet, the editing part came and it hurts to say that I lost the video the first time I finished editing due to a technical problem with my drive, but I managed to do it again and although I wasn’t completely happy with the result (I think that’s the way all artists are). I launched it into the competition with faith and declaring that if God wanted this video to reach many people or just one, but to change a life, I would win. And yes, I might win the competition, but more than that, I was able to reach hearts and that’s what counts.
NRLC: Please describe how you got interested in the right-to-life movement?
GL: When I understood that God brings each one of us with a purpose and by taking the life of a creature that doesn’t even belong to you, that belongs to God and that he has given it to you with a purpose, you are killing the purpose of a living being. You are preventing God from acting through another person and simply thinking only of you and what will happen to your life if you have that baby, is being selfish. You are not thinking of anyone but yourself, so I decided to change my mentality and focus on what God says and wants.
NRLC: What do you hope people your age and younger understand about the right-to-life argument?
GL: I think that more than understanding the Right to life argument, it is that they know about God, because without God they will not be able to understand the argument. With God it is not necessary to argue if it is right or wrong, it is simply to understand and believe that He is right and that every life is important.
NRLC: How do you plan to continue using your talents to motivate and inspire future audiences? Do you have any plans?
GL: I love writing and directing. Right now, I’m working on a short film that talks about how each person deals with their pain in different ways when they lose someone. It also talks about suicide and that there is no way to find answers to questions that were not answered before that person decided to take their own life and without leaving any reason why they did it. Only God knows what led them to suicide and also knows the reason why He allowed it to happen. There is no bad and punishing God, there is a loving God who seeks you. But if you do not seek Him, the enemy can do whatever he wants with you.
NRLC: Congratulations on winning the National Right to Life video contest! Can you share with us the inspiration behind your winning video and the message you aimed to convey?