My mom never let me listen to explicit music or say "shut up" when I was growing up, but she let me watch pretty much any movie I wanted. She's always had an appreciation for the world of film and I think she wanted me to have the same, so she never shielded me from what was on the screen.

When "Babel" came out, I was around eight years old and of course had no idea who Alejandro González Iñárritu was. Now, if you haven't seen the movie, you should know it's got some stuff 8-year-olds probably shouldn't be watching, but I didn't care about the nudity or anything else that made it R-rated. I was fixed on something much deeper the film was showing, and before watching it, I wasn't aware film could carry such meaning or be so complex. I had never seen anything so intricate and it just blew my mind to think that a human being was able to produce something so fascinating.

I was never interested in pursuing a career in film. I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was five and I'm excited to be one, but I was always surrounded by an interest in film by of course my mom, but more significantly my grandpa. My grandpa is a filmmaker himself and he's taught me a lot about the intensity, warmth and depth people can create through movies. Watching films and learning about the whole world behind them has become something I love to do.

10 years since "Babel" and after watching practically everything Iñárritu's worked on, I can definitely say that no other filmmaker is able to produce such transcending and stunning work. On a technical level, I honestly can't see any flaws with him. But more than that, his passion for cinema is consistently present throughout his films, which makes viewers invest part of themselves in his work, too. His stories are rich, well-written masterpieces that he transforms into captivating visuals that always leave me in awe and I find myself amazed at the way he sees and understands the world.

His career, technical methods and whole existence are revolutionary. Iñárritu is the second Latinx person to win Best Director at the Academy Awards, the third to ever win the award back to back and the fourth consecutive person of color. And through it all, he has used his platform to speak about the Latinx struggle, to inform an audience about the genocide this country was built on and to show enormous pride for his Mexican roots and beautiful brown skin. I look up to Iñárritu, as an artist and as an activist. The passion for his artwork and the unique talent he possesses continues to show through more and more throughout his films. I find myself constantly amazed by the director, innovator and person he is. He is fearless with his work, always pushing boundaries and has immense dedication for justice, making him an inspirational filmmaker.