Tara Vessali

Director / Producer

Tara Vessali studied fine art at Maryland Institute College of Art in 2001, before transferring to Florence, Italy, where she continued her studies in painting and sculpture at Lorenzo De Medici School and Scuola D'Arte Sotto Un Tetto. After living in Florence for 3 years, Tara moved to London for 2 years to study painting at Heatherley’s College of Art. Tara currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and works as a prop stylist and art director for film and advertising. You can see her original artwork at www.taravessali.com

During her time in Florence, Tara met ‘Grey the Mime’ through a mutual friend. She and Grey became flatmates in a shared home of performers, in the heart of the city. Getting to know these artists who used movement as a language unto itself inspired her for years to come. Everyone in the house made a living from their performances and ideas and insights were constantly exchanged; it was truly an eye-opening experience. These silent performers were much more vocal than Tara could have ever imagined, and she happily joined the boisterous discussions and debates each night around the kitchen table. It became clear that there was a network of mimes not only in Florence but across the globe; a coalition of support keeping this traditional art form alive and evolving daily on the streets of major cities throughout the world.

Grey’s commitment and passion for this ancient theatrical art has inspired Tara to make a documentary on what it means to be a modern mime, through the lens of his personal experience and knowledge of the subject. With its lack of language and timeless appeal, the significance of mimodrama as one of the oldest forms of self-expression is evident. Tara has always been interested in allegory and expressionism, and when she first encountered mimodrama on the streets of Florence, she was immediately struck by the unique personal approach of each performer and the universality of its appeal. Tara saw first-hand how people from all walks of life could revel together in curiosity and amusement during these performances. She knew she had a story to tell.

Simo Peretti

Director of Photography 

Born in the Ligurian coast of Italy, Simone spent most of his childhood playing around his dad's workshop. There he learned to express himself by means of furniture building, painting and sculpting. Later in his life he joined the L.A.S. Paul Klee Institute where he studied fine arts and photography. After moving to New York, Simo began assisting opera designer Douglas Fitch and worked on several productions at Lincoln Center, for which he built miniatures and props. He later began working in advertising and specialized in special effects engineering for high-speed tabletop TV commercials. Simultaneously he continued to collaborate on various projects with his family and friends. Simo recently composed and recorded music for LJ D'Arpa's latest film "From the Outside" and designed sets for Alessandro Magania's latest theatre pieces "Hardcore" (2016) and "Radio Delirio" (2018). Simo is currently working on several video projects and collaborating with director Tara Vessali on her first documentary "Mimo."  www.simoneperetti.com

Jessica Dudley

Producer

Jessica Dudley is the Associate Vice President, Development Operations at Covenant House International where she works to end youth homelessness and trafficking by bringing creativity and efficiency to the fundraising department.  Jessica enhances the Mimo team with her unrelenting drive, and experience raising critical funds for deserving initiatives.  In the past, Jessica has secured artists grants for a variety of ventures including Urban Arts Projects’ 2009 Perform Williamsburg and 2010 Williamsburg Waterfront Sculpture Exhibit as part of her successful career in Philanthropy.  In her downtime, you can find Jessica at her New Jersey home watching movies with her fiancé or hitting the pavement to train for her next race - Jessica is a 2016 New York City TCS Marathon finisher.  Jessica holds a BA in Art History and Spanish Language & Culture from Purchase College and is currently pursuing an MPA from Baruch College. 

Aynsley Powell

Sound & Score

Aynsley Powell is a performer, composer, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in a musical family, he began the drums at age 6 and his parents quickly realized it was where his excess energy belonged. Fostered by a burgeoning local music program and supportive gigging community, Aynsley took precedence in state and regional competitions, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall when he was 16. As a scholarship recipient to Berklee College of Music, he took full advantage of the school’s musical and cultural diversity and solidified his appreciation for all genres. In addition to jazz performance and composition, Aynsley studied world percussion, which lead to an intensive study at the Dagbe Cultural Institute in Kopeyia, Ghana.

Since residing in Brooklyn, Aynsley has performed and recorded with an eclectic roster of artists including St. Vincent, Kaki King, Wishbone Ash, Lapland, and Tigercity. He is currently a member of Matuto, a band that performs and teaches world-wide as cultural ambassadors to the U.S. State Department. With over ten years of experience as an educator, he has worked with students of all ages and currently teaches songwriting workshops through Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Audio and visual examples of his work can be found at www.aynsleypowell.com 

Kim Macron

Production Coordinator

Kim Macron studied fine arts and art history at Pratt Institute. She has collaborated with visual artist-and-poet Hannah Raine-Brenner on two year-long poetry projects and a series of visual art projects. She has been collaborating with Simo Peretti since 2011 on music (Wintergreen, 2011-2014) and set design (movies Gutboy, 2015, and From the Outside, 2016), and independently works primarily in collage. Kim works in advertising - primarily commercials - as a set decorator.