SGV Connect 142: Chris Greenspon Interviews Nicola Pieper

Chris Greenspon:
We’re here at Alhambra Park with local documentarian Nicola Pieper. Nicola, hi.

Nicola Pieper:
Thanks for having me.

Chris Greenspon:
You reached out to talk about your short documentary All That She. I’ve watched it, but for listeners who can’t see it, what’s All That She about?

Nicola Pieper:
All That She is an unusual project—a kind of poetic mosaic featuring women from about four continents. It explores the many experiences that shape womanhood. It’s not an explanatory film but a reflective one, meant to make viewers think about the diversity and contradictions in what it means to be a woman.

Chris Greenspon:
Yeah, it’s like a six-minute poem.

Nicola Pieper:
Exactly—a visual poem short film.

Chris Greenspon:
So, why did you make it?

Nicola Pieper:
I wanted to create something that didn’t tell viewers what to think but felt genuine and personal. The idea actually came to me while waiting for the bus here in the San Gabriel Valley. I started thinking about all the women who’ve shaped my life—friends, mentors, even women I don’t personally know. I realized how often women are pitted against each other or boxed into narrow definitions. I wanted to show that womanhood is complex, even contradictory, and that every woman’s experience has value—even those who challenge us.

Chris Greenspon:
A lot of the women in the film are from the San Gabriel Valley. Was that just by necessity?

Nicola Pieper:
Not really. I’ve lived in the San Gabriel Valley for three years, and many of the women who’ve inspired me during that time live here. About a third of the 67 women in the film are from the SGV.

Chris Greenspon:
That’s a lot—67 women. Can you tell us about a few of them and their impact?

Nicola Pieper:
Sure. Some are close friends or mentors here in the Valley; others are family members, like my mother, sister, and grandmother in Germany. The SGV women represent an incredible range of backgrounds—Indonesian, Taiwanese, German, and more—and professions like nursing, accounting, engineering, and floristry. Their diversity and stories really inspire me.

Chris Greenspon:
Did living in the San Gabriel Valley change your perception of Los Angeles and its culture?

Nicola Pieper:
Definitely. Before moving to Alhambra, I lived in Koreatown, which I loved, but I wanted somewhere that felt more like home. I’m from Washington State and Germany, and when I came to Alhambra, it instantly felt right—a place full of warmth and cultural mix. I love being in a community with people from diverse backgrounds who share bicultural or multicultural experiences. People often stereotype Los Angeles as unfriendly, but the San Gabriel Valley completely flips that perception. It’s one of the warmest, most welcoming places I’ve lived.

Chris Greenspon:
When you pitched the film to us, I asked how these women make up the social fabric of the region. What role do they play in the SGV’s suburban society?

Nicola Pieper:
That’s a great question. The film isn’t expository, but I think it captures the unseen parts of a community’s fabric. Many women work behind the scenes—raising families, volunteering, working in schools or healthcare—doing essential but often overlooked work. Others are artists, teachers, or professionals who bring creativity and care to their fields. If policymakers are the “bones” of a community, I’d say these women are its nervous system—they connect and sustain everything.

Chris Greenspon:
When does All That She premiere, and where can people see it?

Nicola Pieper:
It’s currently on the film festival circuit, so it won’t be released online for about a year. Once it is, it’ll probably be available on YouTube or Vimeo. I’m starting to share updates on Instagram and Facebook, so people can follow along there.

Chris Greenspon:
Nicola Pieper, thank you so much for joining us on SGV Connect.

Nicola Pieper:
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me.