Mexican filmmaker Santiago Arriaga grew up surrounded by stories. From an early age, he understood that storytelling was not only part of his everyday environment, but also a possible way of inhabiting the world and building a professional path. That connection to narrative shaped his ongoing interest in finding projects, images, and creative processes he could fully immerse himself in.

Within his work, aesthetics are never separated from storytelling. Every visual decision emerges from what the narrative needs to communicate, even when that means creating discomfort, tension, or presenting itself from a harsher perspective. In that sense, photography occupies a deeply personal place in his practice: it functions as an introspective exercise through which he explores obsessions, questions, and ideas that later evolve into new projects.

This visual exploration is also strengthened through his collaboration with his sister, Mariana Arriaga. Between them, photography becomes a shared language that accompanies both their daily lives and the way they create together. Within the still image, the hierarchies and structures typically associated with film production disappear, making space for a more intimate and sensitive conversation.

For Santiago, photography and cinema belong to the same vision. Through the camera, he understands how framing works, what emotions an open or close shot can provoke, and how every visual choice transforms the narrative experience. That understanding directly informs the way he directs and produces.

Rather than existing as separate disciplines, cinema and photography constantly interact and nourish one another. What remains consistent across both mediums is a clear fidelity to his obsessions, his sensitivity, and a creative coherence that stays intact regardless of format.