London-based filmmaker Amalie Gassmann and Connecticut-based Astrologer Micaela Carabin are best friends. In this interview, they explore how filmmaking and astrology intersect and how their cosmic DNA have shaped their respective career paths.
december, 2024
@amalie_gassmann
@micaelacarabin
@amalie_gassmann
@micaelacarabin
Do you remember the initial moment that connected you with your career path?
AMALIE GASSMANN —
I originally wanted to be a writer. Growing up all I did was write. I remember watching films with my dad, and was especially drawn to science fiction. And I had this epiphany that, wow, I can turn my writing into something that's more visual and that I could communicate my storytelling through a cinematic lens. Since then, I’ve been mesmerized. Do you remember yours?
MICAELA CARABIN —
I've always been into astrology. I feel like it was something we would dive into when we were dating. We'd always be like, 'What's that guy's chart?' [laughs] You know, 'Oh, he's a Leo - there's something in the stars.' There was always a bit of a motive behind it for us. It's always been part of my day-to-day life. There have been moments throughout my career when I've known this is exactly what I'm supposed to be aligned with. All of these moments have been magical in their own way - it's all fallen into place.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
What do you do to stay connected with it and find inspiration?
MICAELA CARABIN —
Being in nature helps keep me connected to my passion. Nature and the cosmos are very much connected with my vocation. Plus, I have a Taurus moon. Our moon sign represents our internal world - because Taurus is the Earth sign, I feel most connected and recharged when I'm in nature. You would too of course, because you have a Virgo moon, which is an Earth sign.
Going for walks in the forest helps me seek out inspiration. Especially now that I have seasons living on the East Coast, it inspires me to think of ways to immerse myself and honor the paths of nature and those seasons. Right now, we're coming to the end of summer, and many are focused on summer ending. But this last moment of summer is an interesting time to collect your harvest and take stock of the year as you move into the next season. And what about you? How do you feel connected to your passions?
AMALIE GASSMANN —
The same as you - I recharge by going in nature, and I feel like it's just taking that breath and that beat. I feel more intentional in nature. We're so used to the constant stimulation of being in big cities around lots of people. But when I retreat back to nature, I always realize and remember that this is actually what matters to me over anything else.
Being immersed in the environment is a really nice way to reset your intentions. It also allows more inspiration, and gives me more of a breath to imagine scenes in my head, or imagine what intentions and visuals I want for my projects.
And you have places where you go and retreat, you know, you recently went to Morocco and this artist residency there. You take a lot of time to go and write, take a beat from your crazy life. You’re always traveling. But when you get to opt for those moments of having time to yourself, I’ve noticed you always go somewhere where you are isolated in nature.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
I always have to remove myself so I can reconnect with my true goals.
MICAELA CARABIN —
Such a Capricorn. There is a constant list of goals and a to-do list in Ami's life. [laughs]
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Another thing for me is also being around and starting conversations with other creatives. Collaboration is so important in my work that once I start, it makes me excited. Getting the ball rolling with a team doing a film or photo shoot keeps me curious.
MICAELA CARABIN —
You have a Gemini rising. Geminis are known as the community - it's the communicator and networker. A lot of information comes to you through other people. That plays a huge part in your essence and your cosmic DNA, as we say. Your Gemini rising definitely loves going out there and picking up tidbits and resources, and you love networking - networking is a huge part of your essence, but also your career. This is not an industry that's easy to break into, but you've effortlessly kept it up. How did we meet?
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Well, we met on a boat, I think nine years ago, right? We met in Sag Harbor at a friend's birthday party. For me, it was an instant connection. I was curious.
MICAELA CARABIN —
We both were. And then the next week, we both happened to be in LA at the same time. It was so spontaneous. Then we ended up spending the entire summer together. I kept extending my flight. We became little backpackers together that entire summer. We were so nomadic.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Which is so funny because we're such planners now. We can't be spontaneous - we need to know where we're going, what time we're landing, everything. What I love about our friendship though, is that it grows with us. We're always on the same page or in similar phases.
MICAELA CARABIN —
We've grown. We've been through so many things. We're like cats - we've literally had nine lives. What is the best cinematic experience you’ve had?
When I was at Bard studying film, I saw The Mirror by Andrei Tarkovsky for the first time. It really stayed with me. It’s such a poetic, visually strong film. It showed me so many possibilities for how a film can resonate with people. It's not just about what’s on screen, but how the filmmaker got there, and why they made the choices they did. There’s intention in every detail. Watching The Mirror made me realize that I can push boundaries in my own filmmaking and be just as intentional about making an artistic statement. That was the moment it clicked for me, when I realized that filmmaking is an art form. There’s so much vulnerability in the film – it made me emotional. It opened my eyes to the kind of work I want to do and what kind of filmmaker I wanted to be.
MICAELA CARABIN —
I love it. And what is the best experience you've had in filmmaking?
AMALIE GASSMANN —
I’ve always loved being on set. I always tell you this: it’s not a done deal until you’re actually on set filming. The process is so intense—pre-production especially. Even post-production is a bit more fun, but I think my best experience was with my second short film, The Mess Is Mine. We shot it in Palm Springs— we had a small crew, and we all drove out there. It was a very low-budget shoot, but everyone just wanted to help out. We were all in the same boat, and it felt like a family. What I loved most about it was that it was the first time I felt everyone was supporting my vision and trusting me with it. That was such a special feeling, especially because it felt so authentic. In a world where everything feels so transactional, it was amazing to experience something where people were there for the art of it, just because they loved filmmaking and making something together, rather than it feeling like just another job. That kind of feeling is really special.
MICAELA CARABIN —
That gave me chills. What’s a recent experience where life felt cinematic?
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Personally, cinematic moments are in the little things, like when the sunset comes through the window and projects on the floor, and you see the light shift and the dust floating. You know what I mean? I'm so weird - if that happens, I'm on the floor like a cat trying to catch the light!
MICAELA CARABIN —
You're such a hedonist for light. You’re literally lying in the heat seeking it out!
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Anytime there's natural light, my whole mood shifts.
MICAELA CARABIN —
That's the filmmaker in you. We actually did have a cinematic moment recently when we jumped in the pool in the rain. For my birthday, having some wine with friends, and then it started raining. We jumped into the pool with our clothes on in the rain. It was very cinematic. Okay, so what emotion interests you the most in film and why?
I’ve always been interested in what’s not being said — the lingering moments, the way characters hold back from expressing what they truly want to communicate. I think because of past traumas or experiences, people often don’t act on how they really feel. Instead, they act based on how they’ve learned to protect themselves emotionally. To me, what’s not being said is often the most important emotional aspect in film because it drives characters into different situations—sometimes difficult ones—that they might not face if they were more emotionally aware.
I’m not really interested in dialogue. I like to think of my filmmaking as documentary-style in a way, as a study of human nature, just showing the complexity of a character. It’s not just about being funny or having sharp back-and-forth dialogue; for me, it’s the little things. The mannerisms are very important to me, the body language, how people move through life, and what has affected them to become the way they are.
MICAELA CARABIN —
It's interesting that you say that because it ties in with your astrology - you have your Mercury in Aquarius. Mercury is the planet of communication and understanding. And Aquarius, being the water bearer, the water actually represents nourishment to the earth and crops. So for you, you're always trying to communicate in a way that's authentic, and you understand the resource - like the derivative of exactly why something is happening. It's fascinating how your career and your passions tie in astrologically.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
What interests you more about astrology: how it connects with the universal, or how it connects to the personal, when looking at birth charts versus looking at the sky?
MICAELA CARABIN —
Both because you can’t have one without the other. For my day-to-day, I’m definitely focused on the bigger picture—what’s happening on our planet and why we’re feeling the way we do. It’s like a weather forecast—I enjoy knowing what to expect. I’m always looking up at the sky, worshiping the moon, and, yes, I probably seem like the crazy neighbor standing outside under it. I love analyzing people’s birth charts. With Astrology I get to decode why people behave the way they do.
As someone with a Pisces rising, I tend to overthink. Learning astrology has helped me let go of that, realizing it’s not always about me. As a woman, we’re often expected to behave a certain way and make others happy. I used to take it personally if someone didn’t like me. Now, I see it differently—it’s not that they dislike me; we’re just not compatible, and that’s okay. Astrology has helped me accept these dynamics and has become a code I love to decipher.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
It’s wonderful how you get to really unpack things. That’s similar to me when I talk about film—I like to understand people, and understand on a deeper level where they’re coming from.
I love discovering and unpacking things—both within myself and with others. I specialize in relationship astrology, which helps me guide people in understanding their relationships, whether with their mother or events that caused major changes in their lives. Astrology has been such a significant part of my personal growth.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
What part of astrology keeps you the most curious?
MICAELA CARABIN —
I enjoy analyzing people’s placements and making connections, but what keeps me most interested is communication. It’s a crucial foundation in society, yet it has changed and warped so much—especially in the U.S. with politics and in the media. For example, we had a president who was a Gemini—need I say more?
Lately, Mercury has been keeping me curious. It shifts four times a year and goes retrograde three to four times annually. Mercury influences us more than most realize. While its effects aren’t catastrophic, you can see them play out in society in subtle but significant ways.
If people were more aware of Mercury’s influence, they might focus on themselves, stay calm, and approach situations more mindfully. I’d love to see more calmness and awareness in how we communicate and interact.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
People tend to internalize everything, but they need to understand that there are bigger things at play. There's so much misinformation out there, and 'retrograde' has become such a trendy word.
MICAELA CARABIN —
And honestly, no shade to other astrologers, but there can be a lot of fear-mongering. I mean, we are in the age of Aquarius, so we're seeing different technology platforms, but they're kind of capitalizing off of the fear-mongering, you know? They're getting paid for views. The reality is that these phases have been happening throughout our entire existence - they're going to continue to happen with or without us. We don't need to make it this huge catastrophic thing.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
So what’s a recent moment in life that aligned exactly with the stars for you?
MICAELA CARABIN —
Oh that's a good one. I just finished my Saturn return. It came in waves. But there was definitely a recent moment where, at the end, I felt this shift. I remember the day specifically - I started crying because I was so overwhelmed. But it wasn't overwhelm from stress, it was this deeper emotional connection with myself, where I realized I was entering this next phase. It was like a metamorphosis - I'd shed this skin, stepping into the person I was going to be at the end of this huge shift. That was such a magical moment.
Something my Saturn return taught me is that we cannot only appreciate the good moments in life - we must appreciate the bad too, because those bad moments lead us to the good ones. You have to be grateful for both. I had some awful things happen during my Saturn return that were tough to go through, but by the end of it, I'm not angry about those moments, I'm not sad about them. I've come to full acceptance because I am exactly where I am right now because of those moments. So, that was definitely a pretty cosmic alignment for sure.
I think there's this perception that going through life unscathed is actually some sort of goal to have. But I feel like life is so much richer if you go through experiences, even the negative ones. I feel we all try to shield ourselves from the bad parts, but that actually is how you become more connected with yourself, the world, and other people.
MICAELA CARABIN—
I don't know if it's because we see everyone's perfect life online - which we all know isn't reality.
It could be that we feel almost embarrassed to go through tough things. I love nothing more than having someone be totally authentic and upfront. The older I've gotten, especially because I've been through a lot, I've noticed the more vulnerable you are with people, the deeper your connection is.
AMALIE GASSMANN —
Yeah, we love vulnerability [laughs].
MICAELA CARABIN —
I know, you're getting there, you're getting there, my little Capricorn
AMALIE GASSMANN —
It's a toe in and then out [laughs]. How can we end?
MICAELA CARABIN —
I want to bring up something that's both a compliment and an observation on your astrological DNA. to end with something on your birth chart.
It's interesting that with your career, you've had so many different realms of creativity - you've always been creative in different forms. You do filmmaking, photography, modeling, writing, producing. I mean, you do it all. But it's fascinating because you have Venus in your 10th house, which represents a career in the arts. And especially having it in Aquarius, it gives you natural grace in dealing with people - which, as we know, working in the arts, dealing with people is never easy. There's constant communication as well as constant understanding of so many different things. And for you, having that placement has really helped you manifest a career while using your beauty and your skills and your uniqueness. I love watching that unfold for you.