Hadas Bar, 21, will be graduating in May from the College of Fine Arts with a degree in film and television.

Looking back at her four years at the University of Arizona, Bar feels confident with the career path she chose. 

“I feel very fulfilled as a film and television major. I get to play around all day then get a degree at the end of the day,” Bar said. 

She wasn’t as confident as she is now when she first began applying to colleges. She had never thought about majoring in film or worked on any film projects. In high school, writing, making art and photography were more her speed. 

However, when Bar began applying to colleges as a physiology major, she knew it was not the right fit for her. 

“I started applying as a physiology major because it seemed like the most logical thing,” Bar said. 

After putting some thought into it, she realized that she could not see herself going down that path. She did not want to be a therapist or psychiatrist. 

She began applying to colleges as a film major and didn’t have her mind set on any school. Acquaintances of Bar had previously attended UA and explained how they enjoyed their time there. 

After some research on the film program, she found the UA has one of the best film programs in the country. 

Bar decided to come down from her Los Angeles family home to visit the campus and immediately fell in love with the community and environment. 

After four years of being behind stage and cameras, she will now be the star of her own movie, walking on stage for her diploma. 

Bar’s inspiration for the art of film

A big inspiration for Bar is her grandfather, Adam Greenberg. Greenberg was a cinematographer in the early ’70s to the 2000s and worked on “The Terminator,” “Alien Nation,” “Snakes on a Plane” and “La Bamba.” 

Growing up with a cinematographer grandfather, Bar had an appreciation for the arts and film. As early as she can remember, watching films was never for her entertainment, but out of appreciation for the art of film. 

When Bar had told her family she wanted to go into the industry, they fully supported her, except her grandfather.

He was averse to the idea of her entering film because he knows the poor treatment women receive in the industry. 

“I told my grandfather I was going into film when we were eating dinner one day. We were silent for 20 minutes before he told me it was a hard industry for women,” Bar said. 

Now Greenberg is thrilled that Bar is going to graduate and start her career after graduation. 

“He is my biggest supporter, he thinks I am going to be the biggest director one day,” Bar said. 

The obstacle of COVID-19 

It was Bar’s second semester in college when COVID-19 cases began to rise in Tucson and classes and campus were shut down. Being away from school and attending online classes interrupted her education and experience.

Looking back, not being able to get hands-on experience affected Bar the most, especially during the spring semester of 2021. 

Senior film majors begin to work on their thesis projects during this time, which requires help from the lower classmen. Getting that behind the scenes experience in her first year would have properly prepared her for the future semesters. 

Aside from her education, being quarantined was a struggle for Bar, who made sure to stay away from big gatherings, parties and get COVID-19 tested at least twice a week.

She was living with immunocompromised family members and wanted to be on top of her health. 

Bar decided to come back in the spring of 2021, essentially missing a whole year from in-person classes and any social gatherings. When she applied for her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts she knew she would miss out on hands-on experience.

“I wasn’t there to even use the equipment everyone else was using. I had to [use] makeshift equipment like lighting, props and use my friend as a model,” Bar said. 

Although she missed many learning opportunities and experiences, she did not feel behind in her education. Bar was excited to return back to campus and pick up where she left off. 

Senior film process 

Bar began working on her senior thesis project before the summer even started last year. She began working on production in the fall semester of 2022. 

Bar usually writes drama with hints of comedy, and was inspired by the 2017 film “Lady Bird.” 

“I was watching ‘Lady Bird’ for the hundredth time, and the relationship between the mother and daughter carried me through the film,” Bar said. 

The film follows a teenage girl as she tries to navigate through her senior year of high school. Her biggest obstacle in the film is trying to navigate the relationship she has with her strong-willed mother.

Although Bar said this relationship does not illustrate the relationship with her own mother, she saw other relationships from her life pop up in her head while watching. 

“In the Jewish culture we have this funny thing called ‘Jewish guilt.’ We always have to be there regardless if we have problems with people. [You] put family before yourself which can lead to toxic situations and it can make you hold back in life,” Bar said. 

Bar’s film is about a Jewish girl who wants to leave home, but has guilt placed by her over-critical grandmother. She wanted to talk about a tight-knit community that makes you put yourself second, according to Bar. 

While her film talks about serious topics like toxic family relationships, it also has a comical effect to it. Bar laughs thinking about her own experiences with some of her family members. 

Bar captured the comical aspect in the film because her real life experiences make her laugh. It’s funny because, although it’s your life, family members constantly remind you that it’s not actually yours, according to Bar. 

Her film, “The Art of Leaving Home” will premiere at the I Dream in Widescreen senior film festival on May 6 at the Fox Tucson Theatre. 

Bar’s whole senior year was dedicated to her senior film project, and she had some help along the way. Kyle Openshaw, 22, helped Bar in the logistical aspects, to let her focus on the creative aspect. 

Openshaw is majoring in film and television, and first met Bar at the beginning of their UA college journey. The duo has grown close after attending the same courses and working on projects together. 

After helping Bar with her film, Openshaw is thrilled to watch the finished product.  

“To see her put so much effort into something, she put a lot of herself [into] the project. So to see that come to life is amazing,” Openshaw said. 

The extra push Bar needed to reach film goals

The university’s film program and professors have deeply affected Bar’s education and have helped her expand her film knowledge, according to Bar. 

Professor Jacob Bricca, 52, has been one of the many professors to have deeply impacted Bar’s education in film and arts. 

Bricca has been teaching for ten years and is an associate professor and head of production area, film and television at the UA. Bar has taken multiple courses from Bricca and he was Bar’s post-production advisor for her senior thesis. 

Over the course of the semester, Bricca has pushed Bar just enough to reach her film goals, without pushing her over her breaking point. 

“He is a great professor. He really cares about making our work the best it can be and listening to what we want rather than inflicting his own opinions on us,” Bar said. 

Bricca has loved working side by side with Bar as she navigated through her senior film. She is an amazing photographer, cinematographer and a “very good writer to boot,”  Bricca said. “I think she could be successful in a variety of fields. I hope she gets to follow her passions and finds other great collaborators to work with.”  

Post-graduation path 

As graduation creeps around the corner, Bar is more excited than scared. She plans to move back to Los Angeles and start her filmmaking career right away. 

Bar has a positive outlook on her career path after graduation and believes that she is prepared enough to start her career. She describes herself as a creative, hard worker that can also have fun on set. 

“It’s a really exciting change in my life and I don’t think it can go wrong at this time. I have no inkling that I won’t make it in the industry,” Bar said. 

Bar is determined to reach her dreams of making it in the industry. Bar has no plan B because she believes that if you don’t have a plan B, it will only push you harder to work on your plan A, according to Bar. 

After four years of being behind the camera, Bar is finally wrapping up the production of her own life. For once, Bar will be the star of her own movie as she walks across Centennial Hall to receive her degree. 

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