NEWS
WINNERS VIRTUAL EVENT
LIFE LINE by Sara Čolić, Aline Danielle Bavier / Bosnia and Herzegovina
SWALLOW FLYING TO THE SOUTH by Mochi Lin / United States
Meet the Filmmakers
We invite you to know more about the leading and emerging filmmakers in our interviews to know more about the magic of cinema. We designed this section to help filmmakers to promote their projects and their uprising careers and to provide the audience a hint of the backstage of the film industry.
INTERVIEW WITH LETIZIA BORFICCHIA
"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."
Alfred Hitchcock
INTERVIEW WITH LETIZIA BORFICCHIA
TRICK OR TREAT?
BIOGRAPHY
Since I was a child I have cultivated my passion for drawing.
As I grew up I felt the need to somehow give life to what I created, so I approached the world of animation. I am currently enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna.
I like to experiment with animation in all its techniques, from traditional animation, to cut animation, to rotoscope.
I feel the need to create and express something of my own. Through images I try to express my feelings and emotions. I like to deal with science fiction themes, where children and mysterious creatures are the protagonists, where fantasy is an escape from reality.
"Trick or treat?" is my first animated short film.
Letizia, in your biography, you stated that you are currently a graduate student from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, specializing in Cinema and Audiovisual Languages. Would you share with our audience today what Audiovisual Languages' scope is?
For me the scope of this language is to try to transmit emotions and feelings through images, trying to use words as little as possible. In a world so full of words, silence is underestimated.
Do you believe that your hard work as well as your feelings and emotions is all that fed into what the film finally became?
I hope so. Animation for me is a way to bring out what i feel because for me is easier comunicate what i feel with images rather than words.
Did the music come to life once the Animation was finished or was it composed along with its crafting?
The music came to life once the animation and editing phase was over. Thanks to the talent of the composer Antonino Bono, "Trick or treat?" was born a second time.
INTERVIEW WITH GILLES BOVON AND TRACY WHIPPLE
"ART IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT IS A LOT OF WORK"
- KARL VALENTIN
"ART IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT IS A LOT OF WORK"
- KARL VALENTIN
INTERVIEW WITH
GILLES BOVON AND TRACY WHIPPLE
WALKING AROUND
BIOGRAPHY
Gilles Bovon is a seasoned documentary filmmaker, based both in France and the US. Produced for the main European TV public channels, his films have been selected and awarded in festivals worldwide. “Walking Around” is his first fiction film.
Gilles and Tracy, you co-wrote and co-produced Walking Around. What was the starting point for this storytelling and how does the dynamics of co-writing work?
We reside in North-East Florida, an area where nature is sublime but also many curious people live. One day, Gilles was running and saw this young man walking around his trailer, in an obsessive and mechanical way. He seemed locked in mental suffering, lost in an inner world. The following days, this odd character was still there, acting the same. How to get in touch with such a person, and how could anybody alleviate his suffering?
Gilles decided to write a tale about a young man circling around his trailer, and a mysterious traveler trying to establish a connection, with the purpose of providing him with some measure of peace. Gilles came first with the narrative arc of the story, then Tracy’s input consisted on fleshing out the characters, adding substance to them. Tracy also came up with two important scenes : the car scene and the night scene. Both reflect the rejection the young man suffers from the outside world, being the society or the familial nucleus. Basically, Gilles is ‘Mr Structure’, and Tracy is the soul. We are a great team!
We decided we would produce the film ourselves, which was bad for our savings, but great for creative freedom. We were fortunate to find a super team in Jacksonville, who were deeply involved in our story and vision. Brian Matthews, the main actor, defines himself as being ‘on the spectrum’, and we spent a long time finding the right way for his character to walk and mumble.
We shot the film at home, with Tracy’s Streamline trailer. We did so many things on this project: writing, producing, finding people, animals and props, directing, editing. Our biggest mistake on the shoot is that Tracy also took care of the catering. That was too much!
Tracy, have you conceived “the woman”’s character thinking about yourself as the actress for the role?
This role specifically, was one that really did compel me to unearth many of my innate characteristics, for many reasons. Her creation was quite interesting. She was Gilles’ muse at inception but I knew what her existence meant. She doesn’t speak much, so she had to portray more through her physical and psychological body. I wanted to bring out some traits that might not be obvious on first inspection. They are nuanced, very subtly displayed at almost a subversively psychological level.
I consider myself a very empathetic human- it’s a very dominant trait of mine. However, I recognize that there are aspects of my personality that while subordinate, still exist within me. People, by and large, are complex. There is at least a bit of the good, the bad and the ugly in all of us. On the outset, it would seem like she is just the sweet, kind, compassionate motherly-type with some understanding about what makes your typical American young man tick- games, money, food. You see her performing these deeds of service, one after another, with varying degrees of success but one should wonder if these are truly altruistic gestures- or tactics of manipulation. I mean, where does she come from and why would she care about helping this boy? And is she really helping him? If she isn’t- who’s needs and desires is she really serving? Hopefully the watcher even begins to question whether or not she even really exists. I love to ask people about their take on her. The interpretation speaks volumes about their personal pneuma.
If one listens carefully to the scene of the parents arguing, the story becomes even more faceted with more stratification of questions created!
Gilles, would you share with the audience and specially with the students among us today what were the reasons behind the shooting format choice for Walking Around?
Our goal was to make an “out of time” film, with a daydream feel. When you watch, you question which era it takes place, it could be in the 70’s, could be the 90’s. Purposely, there’s no reference to modernity, like cell phones. To underline this "out of time" aspect, we chose the square format to give it a 70’s-like indépendant feel. This format visually reinforces the idea of the young man’s entrapment, isolated in his inner prison. It’s also a tribute to “Son of Saul”, an important visual reference. The square format is kept almost all of the film, until there is an evolution in the character’s mind. Yes, music has magical healing powers!
Nick Solorzano, the director of photography, shot most of the film with a special filter, the “Dior” filter. Back-in-the-day, people would slide a specific Christian Dior woman’s stocking over a lens to create this magical effect. The problem is, these Dior stockings aren’t produced anymore so now, a lens that was created especially to mimic this look is used. It's a rare and much sought-after filter that softens the image and reinforces the dreamy feel.
Music and sound play a very significant role in ”Walking Around”, in which dialogue is very sparse. Specially composed for the film by Martin Meissonnier (a famous French producer who worked with Fela Kuti, among others), the music is a mix between weird, disturbing electronic sounds, and rough, aggressive guitar riffs (like Neil Young’s music for “Dead Man”), until it evolves into a lyrical flight, when the young man opens up to feelings. The film has been shot with direct sound, but the whole soundtrack has been recreated in the studio. Philippe Charriot, the sound engineer, took ages to synchronize the sound of each Brian’s steps!
INTERVIEW WITH ANNASOPHIA NICELY
We don't watch movies to see ourselves, we watch them to become ourselves. When you walk into a theater full of strangers, you enter as individuals, but leave bonded by an experience that will live forever. The movies that make us make us closer to one another.
INTERVIEW WITH ANNASOPHIA NICELY
IUDICATUS
BIOGRAPHY
My name is AnnaSophia Nicely and I am 16 years old. I am a student in Washington DC and my first film ‘Iudicatus’ was made possible by an arts fellowship I was awarded by my school. I’ve had a deep love of film my entire life, and I create my own movies to give back to the art form that raised me.
AnnaSophia, you are the Director, Writer, Producer, Key Cast, Narrator and Music Writer and Performer of Iudicatus and you are only 16 years old. This is your first stop motion animation, is that right? Is it your very first time filmmaking at all?
Yes! This is my first time filmmaking, and yes, I didn’t quite realize what I was taking on when I started the project. I’ve grown up with movies and stop motion, but I’d never truly internalized the amount of work that goes into even a small piece. It taught me a few valuable lessons: first, that appreciating the work of the cast and crew is an essential part of enjoying cinema, and second, that while I enjoyed the challenge, filmmaking is in no way a one-person job. I hope that this experience gave me the tools I need to succeed in a group environment, as it taught me how carefully crafted each aspect needs to be to fit into a complete movie.
How long did the whole filmmaking process take considering you crafted all of it by yourself?
The entire filmmaking process to be about 7 months, with 3 months of shooting. Turns out the actual filming and clay manipulation wasn’t even the hardest part! Story building, editing, and sound design all take time and careful effort. I guess when they say that editing is the final rewrite of a movie, they mean it. The post-production process led me to change aspects of my movie by scene manipulation alone, without even having to reshoot!
As you sayed, the complexity of the spoken word juxtaposed to the simplicity of the animation, which certainly led us to watch it over and over again. Thank you for sharing it with us! Could you briefly explain to us how this animation type is crafted?
As I said, stop motion has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up loving the whimsical movements and stunning sets, especially in movies like Coraline (which I still consider one of my favorites to this day). And yes, I have to say, I’ve always been entranced by its capacity for creepiness and soul. Claymation and puppet animation in particular have the ability to tell stories in a way that seems to reach through the screen, as if you can feel the movement and work of the hands that gave life to those figures. They are just as much a part of the story as the characters we see are. That being said, the process of animating stop motion is extremely time-consuming and often frustrating. I can’t begin to say, without being embarrassed, how many times I broke down over one of my characters falling or breaking while I was trying to shoot. The fluidity of the animation relies entirely on small, incremental movements, and losing positioning basically means the death of your shot. I shot at 11 frames per second, meaning my whole movie is approximately 3000 individual photos. After each photo, the scene had to be manipulated by hand to bring it to life, and while my first attempt is not perfect, I am proud of the characters I was able to bring out through stop-motion.
Do you believe that “choosing to use our eyes as vessels of judgement and hate instead of searching for the beauty around us” is a matter of a particular age group, or of a particular gender group or, sadly, a matter of the human condition? If you believe that is the case, what would you say which part of you will survive?
I’ve always had the idea that humans are not defined solely by age, political beliefs, gender, race, or any other factor. Instead, I believe that a person’s view of the world can be seen through a simple question: Are humans born good, evil, or neither? I am a firm believer that all people are born good. So no, I don’t believe that the broken pieces of modern society (which my movie critiques) are a matter of the human condition. Due to individual circumstances, some people attempt to infect the world with hatred and cruelty. These people pass down these selfish ideas through generations, teaching young children to hate one another based only on the color of their skin, or to look down on others for their gender identity. This hate spreads and consumes like a virus, closing many off to the beauties of our diverse, interconnected world. But there is hope: humans are not innately selfish animals. We are not innately individual animals. We are loyal, we care for each other, we experience empathy for those who are different than us. We find beauty in the strangest things, we wear gold jewelry because we love things that shine, we give each other flowers and we put meanings behind each one. We play in water even though we can breathe under it, even though it can kill us. We watch the stars and wonder if we are alone. Humans are not perfect, and we’ve done a lot of wrong to each other and to the world around us. But we have the means to change that, because we have the choice of love. The ability to love is the part of us that refuses to die.
INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW ARRAKIS
INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW ARRAKIS
THE WORLD IS MY STAGE
BIOGRAPHY
Andrew Arrakis was born in a small town in the Urals (Russia). He used to
participate in staging performances and humorous sketches at school and
university. After receiving a diploma of higher education, he was involved in
organizing club-format events, booking artists. After some time, Andrew took up
directing, shot several clips for local artists. Then he entered the Academy of
Communications Wordshop for a course in creative video and directing. At the
moment he is shooting video, writing scripts and producing projects in the field of
advertising and cinema.
How did you get in touch with Anna given that she is the prima ballerina of the Russian state ballet?
Our producer Roman is a former ballet dancer. He is a friend of Anna and danced with her on the same stage for several years. The idea to shoot this video, or rather, some video with a ballerina came from him. And the creative idea of the film was mine.
We believe that the lines she speaks not only tell the story of herself once the pandemic started, but also of a lot of people related to performances of any other trade and also for the non-artistic-related workers who saw their projects cancelled. Would you agree to say that each one of us had to discover our true essence to keep on going against all odds during the pandemic time?
You absolutely got the point. When I wrote this text, I wrote it for Anna, based on her real situation, but involuntarily identified her remarks with myself. The fucking pandemic has touched each of us, and forced us to reconsider many things that seemed right before. I am extremely convinced that only true aspiration can move us forward, no money, no status, nothing external. Otherwise, it is violence against oneself. As for me, I decided everything for myself a long time ago and I listen only to the inner voice. To true aspiration.
Is the film a combination of footage from Anna's previous performances and your own new shootings during pandemic times?
Oh sure. Anna provided us with her archival footage from her performances in Japan filmed on VHS.
What effect did you pursue by the combination of VHS, 16mm and Digital shooting formats?
As for VHS, as I said, this is the only recording format provided by Anna. I was suggested to use 16mm by my D.O.P. Yury Ostrozhinsky. I'm not a huge fan of film tape, to be honest, but I decided to try and combine it with digital. The idea is in the difference between the plasticity of a film tape image and a pure figure. I like to build a narrative on contrast, including on the contrast of formats, this gives additional dynamics. In addition, due to the specifics of the film tape, it gives distortion and marriage when shooting, which I use with pleasure during editing.
INTERVIEW WITH JESSE BOYLE
Cinema is the space that where someone who spends their whole life trying to find an answer, can find that answer in the right film. It's a gateway to answer questions that transcend words, or even moments. It speaks to something under the skin and surface that, in any other way, is simply not communicable.
INTERVIEW WITH JESSE BOYLE
YOU ARE THE OCEAN
BIOGRAPHY
Jesse Boyle is an Australian born multi-disciplined Film Director and Writer with bases out of Sydney and Los Angeles.
Most well-known for his role as International touring artist for Chase Atlantic, Jesse has taken his creativity and experience and aligned them towards Filmmaking.
His filmography includes his debut Short Film 'You Are The Ocean', which stands at 7 award wins, 4 nominations, 2 honourable mentions, 1 semi-finalist ranking and an additional 8 official selections, with more festival results pending to date.
We know that you are mostly recognised as an international touring artist with the international band Chase Atlantic. How did you jump from your music career into filmmaking?
I think they go hand in hand in a lot of ways. I've always felt like I've had something more to share and express than what I can on stage. I've always had an abundance of ideas for film concepts and it's always been a fascinating passion of mine. It's something I always wanted to pursue but never gave myself permission to. Music and Film co-exist in my mind and I think doing one compliments and helps the other in a lot of ways. I think the main thing was, as simple as it may sound, to just do it!
You are the Director, Writer, producer and Editor of the film. How much did you enjoy the whole filmmaking experience?
It was fantastic! I couldn't have done it without the amazing people who helped it come to life. They are such talents, and I can't wait to work with them again soon. To take on all those roles was somewhat of a necessary thing to do to make sure the Film got made. It's a lot on the plate, even for a short, but all in all it was super rewarding. Already working on the next one!
Would you say that You are the ocean fits within the film concept category you look forward to making?
Yes and no! I have a lot of genre-specific ideas that I'm developing at the moment, with a clear storyline that isn't as ambiguous as You are the Ocean. However, I still want to shoot this kind of form as well. Ultimately, my mind will dictate what kind of genre to make. I don't really think about what I 'need' to make or what I 'should' make. It's usually an idea that sticks in my mind and whether that be an experimental, a thriller or a drama – I'll make it. If it feels right and has the message I truly care about, I'll make it, regardless of genre and parameters to work in. Just not comedies – I'm not funny enough to pull those off!
Would you agree to say that You are the Ocean makes the audience question themselves specially about how we perceive things and, therefore, how we believe we understand them?
I hope it does make the audience question those things. I think, specifically, when it comes to an intimate relationship there must be acceptance. The film is really exploring the theme of accepting someone for what they are and who they are. Things change, people change. We are a volatile species with incredibly complex minds and emotions. We can't just accept the easy and placid without accepting the complex and powerful. They co-exist. To reject one of those elements in someone, is to reject it all.
INTERVIEW WITH ELENA GRIGGIO
Cinema is the light's language, one of my favorite master. It thaught me that to recreate visually your dreams, you have to face the reality.
INTERVIEW WITH ELENA GRIGGIO
HAVENS
BIOGRAPHY
Elena Griggio was born in Venice in 1991. She is an Italian director, playwright, and actress.
Mostly dedicated to theatre, she studied in U.K. (LAMDA) and in France (CAIRH - Centre Artistique International Roy Hart).
She performed in Tino Sehgal's opera Yet Untitled, winner of the Golden Lion Prize in Venice Biennale 2013.
Since 2014 she's been working with Teatro Valdoca, renowned theatre company founded by Cesare Ronconi and Mariangela Gualtieri.
After her debut with the award-winning short film HAVENS - Rifugi, she's now releasing her first feature film in 2022: REALITY - Realtà.
- filmography:
HAVENS - Rifugi (Short Film) - 2020
REALITY - Realtà (Feature Film) - 2022
Do you have a possible answer to the rhetorical question? ("What will last at the end of a world, the inner one or that you may have built with somebody?)
On one hand, memories and dreams remain. The former is linked to the past and the latter to the future. This is probably Adam's attitude. On the other hand, a pure present remains, as we can see through Eva's approach. I wanted to explore the dialogue between such different ways of living, most especially when life itself is shared between the two.
The relationship depicted by this couple seems so real, standing between their recent past and their immediate future, such as you stated. Do you believe this naturalism has to do with your both theatrical experience and expertise?
It could be; both of the protagonists are part of the theatre company where we met and worked together for many years. Ondina most especially has a career in film and television too, still she preserved her theatrical roots. It's interesting to work in cinema with a "theatrical attitude", in my feature film Reality it's even more evident. I understand that this style can't always be appreciated, after all it's very peculiar... still it gave me the chance to explore the two worlds and their differences. As well, it gave me the pleasure to work with extraordinary actors and to keep what I learnt from my career in theatre, taking some risks of course. It's part of the game.
Was it easy to find out the scenic isolated location for the stilt house? Where is it?
It was easy only because I live in Venice... and the stilt houses are the nets storage of the fishermen of Pellestrina, an island not far away from my home. It wasn't obvious though that one of them would have been the perfect location for HAVENS. I had to see them in the sunset, one day I was driving my father's boat around Pellestrina. My father saw my face and even if I didn't say a word he knew immediately I had an idea.
INTERVIEW WITH OSCAR DIAZ
INTERVIEW WITH OSCAR DIAZ
BURN OUT
BIOGRAPHY
Oscar is an audiovisual creative, colorist and director. Mostly interested in social documentaries and independent films.He has been working in different areas, starting with music video clips, fashion film, corporate, brand content and documentary photography. Oscar recently directed his first short film, Burn Out. Since January 2021, Oscar has been working on his first documentary film and developing a new brand production company focusing on producing films directed by minorities.
Do you believe that dancing is a particularly powerful tool for both men and women to take control over their thoughts and feelings through their metaphysical power?
Absolutely, my wife Emma used to remind me to be present at the precise moment. I didn't understand well until I had the experience to be part of an independent theater company. Dance has the potential to take control over our thoughts, the power to makes you enjoy and live the precise moment.
Is there any particular reason for the three different dancing locations? (The woman dancing in the theatre and a studio, the man on the beach and both together on a building terrace) How did you come up with them?
I wanted to represent a place in their minds where they can dance since they are no longer together. She is at the studio yearning to be with him and using the dance as a tool to "make a call". He feels her dance at the beach because it represents nature. Dance is harmonic as the waves are, waves have rhythm and I wanted to create a parallelism.
Due to your solid experience in color grading, Would you say shooting on 16mm allows you more expressivity in that matter?
I wanted to separate the real world from the imaginary world. I believe that digital cameras are more realistic than they need to be, so we decided to film digital at the studio and the theatre. Then we test 16mm and we find that the grain was perfect, and the kodak film allows us express better that "dreaming feeling"
INTERVIEW WITH POPPY VAN OORDE-GRAINGER
INTERVIEW WITH Poppy van Oorde-Grainger
two sands
BIOGRAPHY
Poppy van Oorde-Grainger is a filmmaker and artist based in Australia. She first gained national recognition as the winner of the Fremantle Print Award and then later the Australia Council Kirk Robson Award. Poppy’s projects have been broadcast on Nickelodeon, SBS and ABC and presented at international festivals and galleries including London International Festival of Theatre, Japan Media Arts Festival and Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.
Your film has been a powerful journey for a better understanding of refugees and migrants in Australia, Do you ever reconcile both worlds: the one in which you actually are and the one you are from?
Kook Manuer and I wrote the film together so we decided to answer these questions together too. Kook came to Australia from South Sudan as a refugee when he was 16 and he says, "It is possible to have both the culture of where you're from and where you are if there are enough people from the old country living in the new country. In Perth there are enough South Sudanese people so celebrating my culture can still happen, it is just less often and instead of using ash from cow dung on our face, we use baby powder!" I came to Australia from the UK as a migrant when I was 13 and my experience was very different to Kook's. I didn't struggle with the language but I did struggle with finding a sense of belonging. It took me 13 years to feel like Australia was more home than the UK. So to answer the question, yes, I think you can bridge the gap between where you're from and where you are...it might just take a long time!
The parallelism between flashbacks and real time has been a great choice for a better understanding of the "two sands" Garang is dealing with, Was it a beforehand decision or did it come up along with the editing process?
It was a beforehand decision. The flashbacks in the film are based on Kook's true story of being lost in the wilderness, and the school scenes are based on experiences we both had as new arrivals in Aus. In 2012, Kook and I met in an Intensive English Centre where I was working as a filmmaker-in-residence. When he told me the flashback story, straight away we decided to make it into an animation with the other students at the centre. Then, years later I met some refugees who were living in tents in Paris. I showed them the animation and it made me think about how you can feel lost in the wilderness even when you're surrounded by millions of people. After that I asked Kook if he'd like to make a film with me that told his story of being lost in South Sudanese next to a story of feeling lost in a new city.
Is young Garang, besides a great young actor, a Sudanese migrant himself?
Garang was born in Australia. Both of his parents are South Sudanese and came to Australia as refugees.
Do you believe there is any particular age at which an individual better adapt to a new place?
Kook says "Under 15. It's easier to learn the language and fit in when you go to school with people." Poppy says "Under 12. It's easier if you can start high school at the same time as everyone else."
INTERVIEW WITH KAZUMA YANO
EVERYDAY LIFE.
INTERVIEW WITH KAZUMA YANO
OBENTO
BIOGRAPHY
Kazuma Yano was born in 1974 in Kobe, Japan. His recent short film “OBENTO” was awarded ‘Best Short Film’ in the Seoul International Film Festival, ‘Best Editing’ in Venezia Shorts and ‘Best Cinematography’ in the Kadoma International Film Festival. His short film “THE FIRST FEELING IN MY LIFE” was awarded ‘Audience Award’ in the Linkage Short Film Festival.
As it is a new concept for westerners, could you expand the concept on an Obento? (“The dishes in an Obento are a reflection of ‘someone’s’ heart from ‘then’ until ‘now’”)
For the Japanese, “OBENTO” is a very special food culture. These small, beautiful boxes are filled with love.
How important is the narrator’s voice when she becomes the faceless actress of the short?
Voices reflect the actor’s experiences and way of thinking. The actor’s distinctive appeal tends to be revealed more in narration than when acting a role, so the voice is very important especially in short films.
Do you believe that the pacing and smoothness of your film are inherent characteristics of your culture? That we feel so attracted to, by the way.
I feel that the subtlety inherent in Japanese people is within myself, too. I direct, film and edit the films myself, so I think that a unified aesthetic influences my work.
The film has been subscribed for Best Editing among two other categories, would you let us know why you believe so?
In my personal films I pursue capturing beauty in everyday themes. I would be very happy if this aspect of my work has been recognized.
INTERVIEW WITH JAVAD ATEFEH
Cinema to me is a display of some unique and specific parts of one’s life. We as humans experience specific taboos in our day to day life that we never talk about. My cinematic objective is to discover those, write about them, and picturize them.
INTERVIEW WITH Javad Atefeh
Do.Solo.Pin
BIOGRAPHY
Javad Atefeh is known as a playwright and stage director in Iran. Javad has taken most of his plays on stage in recent years. Do.Solo.Pin is his first experience as a filmmaker.
How was this first film directing experience?
Even though I have several years of experience as playwright and director of stage, the experience of making Do.Solo.Pin was very unique and quite different to some extent. Although a play on stage is often seen as an image of real life, it could also be very different from reality due to the on-stage limitations that are often accepted by the audience. Despite all the challenges in making a play, these unspoken and agreed-upon, so to speak, stage limitations have made the play industry more forgiving towards representing a real-life story. Film, on the other hand, is a medium that is normally directed and acted in a believable manner and in that sense it is less forgiving. One of the challenges that I was facing while making Do.Solo.Pin was to make it a believable movie despite having such a strange setting. This made my filmmaking experience more challenging but very exciting at the same time. In order to make the story believable, I went through so many trials of writing and rewriting the script. At the end, with great acting and execution and by achieving a nice and dynamic flow I think we were able to overcome the challenges.
When watching the film, one feels like watching a regular day in someone's life. Are the actors actual actors or people you met that are actually in this situation in their lives? (so hyperrealistic!!!)
The story of the film is completely a byproduct of my imagination as the screenwriter. I have not read any similar story in any book, neither have I met anybody with such experience in real life. I am certain, though, there are people in this world that need to make unconventional decisions and face unconventional challenges to survive. Challenges that may seem so foreign to the rest of us. The actors of Do.Solo.Pin are all stage actors. That is probably an advantage that we had. They put themselves in the shoes of the characters in order to make the story seem realistic and believable for the viewer. Atefe Pakbaznia, the leading actress and my wife, in particular, is one of the very strong experimental stage actresses in Iran who has done a great job acting some critical roles on stage in recent years. By selecting her as my leading actress, I was confident she would be able to successfully accomplish this difficult role. We both knew to achieve that, she needed to live the character's life rather than acting it, and I think she did a great job accomplishing that.
What is the meaning of "Do.Solo.Pin?
Dosulepin, with this exact spelling, is a strong depression medicine. It is sometimes the cure for those who are lost in the deepest black hole of their minds. In naming this film I was being playful and creative with the words. The film name still sounds like the dosulepin medicine, but it is also a unique three-word name consisting of "Do", "Solo", and "Pin" which is to talk about the entangled ("Pin") loneliness ("Solo") of the film characters.
INTERVIEW WITH ALEX BARRERA
"You have to wash your eyes after each look." Kenji Mizoguchi
INTERVIEW WITH alex barrera
maps
BIOGRAPHY
Alex Barrera is a visual artist and filmmaker based in Barcelona. He has directed, edited, filmed and retouched the color of many audiovisual productions. He has several series of oil paintings with different themes in which symbolic and poetic elements appear. He also makes scale models of facades and locations in Barcelona.
His work has been selected and awarded in numerous film festivals, including Worldfest- Houston, Malaga Festival, Alcine, Sant Andreu IFF, New York IFF, Rio de Janeiro and Ierapetra IFF.
In your film, you talk about a very sensitive subject in a very discreet and poetic way. Is there any particular reason for your interest in memory issues?
Although I haven't experienced Alzheimer's disease personally with my family or friends, there are parts of my life that I've erased, especially in childhood due to trauma or other reasons, so there is a part of my life I don't remember. Based on that experience, I wanted to explore a much more serious and difficult situation such as Alzheimer's. I've tried to treat this disease with respect in a symbolic manner without describing a particular case. I wanted to transmit the feeling of losing your experiences and your identity.
Would you tell us what is the symbolism behind the ink drops and stains? Does it have to do with the film’s name?
The black liquid symbolizes the memories, experiences and identity of a person. In my film, the liquid falls on a surface and expands, forming lines that join each other and end up creating a map. This map is a symbolic representation of a person's neuronal map, in which neurons create bridges between one another in order to send electrical impulses.
As an artist, do you consider yourself rather a painter than a filmmaker or the other way around?
I'm passionate about both painting and cinema. They are two different disciplines but they have points in common. In my projects, I try to unite these two artistic disciplines, either through color, framing or the painting itself as a narrative element in the story. I consider myself a creator whether I am creating images frozen in time in painting or photography, or moving images in my cinematographic works.
INTERVIEW WITH CARA LEGG & JAVIER CASTRO
Documentary cinema for us is giving a voice to the voiceless and telling the stories of those that are often overlooked by society. Rather than overload with cinematic elements, we let the subjects tell the story in their own raw way and in their unique environment that they have shaped in order to survive in an ever-challenging world. We aim to uncover the beauty that exists in every single life despite the tragedy, and the human spirit’s search for a sense of belonging no matter where the journey takes it.
INTERVIEW WITH CARA LEGG & JAVIER CASTRO
THE HIDDEN HARRAGA
BIOGRAPHY
Cara Legg - producer and director
Cara is a journalist with a background in TV news. She has worked for the BBC, Sky and Al Jazeera. She grew up in Botswana in southern Africa, before moving to London, Rome and now Doha. Her focus is on telling the stories of forgotten people and those living on the edges of society.
Javier Castro - cameraman, audio and editor
Javier is a professional video artist with an anthropological focus, particularly on marginalised communities in Cuba. He grew up in Havana, before moving to the US. His work has featured in exhibitions and galleries in more than 15 countries. He is a largely self-taught cameraman and editor
After meeting the "Harraga" boys and girls (arabic name for "those who burn borders"), Have you, by any chance, signified the meaning of the word (Harraga)?
Everyone we spoke to had their own meaning for the word 'Harraga'. For some, it meant people who burn through borders and do not respect the immigration laws; for others the interpretation focused on the bravery of those who gave up everything to break down barriers that had imprisoned them in a place. Then, there were the 'Harraga' themselves who saw the meaning tied in with breaking down barriers between people and connecting the world. I think what struck me was the bravery associated with the word. No matter which angle you view it from, these young people (many of them in their mid-teens) risked everything to reach a better life, sometimes travelling through five or six countries over one or two years to make it to Europe. And the struggle doesn't end there, once they 'come of age' the struggle to remain visible and exist really begins.
How was the experience to interact with those young adults who have burned borders as unaccompanied minors?
It was really a privilege to meet these young people who still hold some much joy and hope despite everything they have gone through. When you hear their stories, you understand the complexities of their lives and the trials they have gone through (some were beaten in detention centres in Libya) and you wonder how they managed to continue. Many of them speak three or four languages, and they are so eager to continue their education and build lives for themselves, despite all the challenges that lie ahead of them. I also found their ability to remain optimistic and open-hearted while they face so much criticism, racism and hate very admirable.
Has it been easy to get along with them from a Director's point of view?
I grew up in Africa and am very familiar with many of the countries they come from, so it was easy for me to make a connection there. I also believe they are very eager to be 'seen' and 'heard' in a society that possibly doesn't want them to 'exist' and 'thrive'. Many laughed when I mentioned 'Matteo Salvini' but they didn't have any hate for him. They see him as someone who isn't very knowledgeable or open-minded to the realities of what is happening further afield from Italy. Many of them felt at home in Palermo and wanted to remain there to build their lives - after all it is a historic melting pot of cultures. They also love football - as many young men do - so they were very keen for Javier to film them doing the thing they love - and football has always provided them with an escape from the realities of their lives.
I am interested in knowing How much time did the research take?
As a journalist, the story of the 'Harraga' children has been of strong interest to me and one I have been following closely as the number of child arrivals soared in Italy in 2016. However, due to logistical issues, I have never been able to cover their story and bring it to the screen. In late 2019, Javier Castro and I travelled to Palermo to meet Pasquale, the man who set up many successful programmes aimed at helping these young children. Many had closed down or were in dire need of funding at a time when majority of these children were now entering adulthood. We had limited equipment, but he was keen for us to meet some of the people involved in the fight to continue their work after much government resistance. We decided to jump at the opportunity, though we had to play it by ear and come up with footage we could work into a short documentary. We filmed for two days, running around the city trying to get snapshots of all these people's lives and how they interconnected and woven together.
INTERVIEW WITH MALIBU TAETZ
I think film is a wonderful artform. It has the ability to bring all kinds of artforms together, and all kinds of people together too. There’s so much more we could do with it, and I’d like to go on learning as much as I can.
INTERVIEW WITH MALIBU TAETZ
THE SUBSTITUTE
BIOGRAPHY
Director/Writer
Malibu Taetz is an award-winning writer and director based in Vancouver, Canada. His short films, of both live-action and animation, have screened in a variety of festivals around the world, including NFFTY and the Cannes Film Festival. He is a graduate of the Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts program at Capilano University and the University of Hertfordshire. In addition to film work, Malibu also plays the French horn in local orchestras, and aspires to create stories with a unique blend of visuals and music.
I loved that the main bottomline of the story seems to be for The Substitute to remain her unique self to make her capable of lifting the curse. Would you tell us about this choice instead of making her undergo a transformation to be able to do so? (as many movie heroes must do)
Growing up, I had several teachers who were really passionate about what they did but who, because of their quieter personalities, never seemed to get the respect of their classes. I think there are a lot of people like that, who do so much to benefit our world every day, but aren’t recognized for it. In The Substitute, I wanted to tell the story of one of those kinds of people, but to tell it like a grand adventure, with treasure, mystery, and an ancient curse. On the other side of that spectrum there’s the guns-blazing, sensational kind of hero that Weston Montgomery (the class’s “actual teacher”) is. That’s the hero the students want, because that’s what they’ve been taught to value. But instead they get Sofia Dalgren, the quietly dedicated, curious, and very brave substitute teacher. It was really important to me that Sofia doesn’t have to become like Weston to lift the curse. It was Weston that unleashed the curse. Sofia’s the real hero who has to fix it.
Could you explain to those non-directors, How did you accomplish such great cinematography as that of feature movies?
Filmmaking is different than other art forms in that there isn’t a single creator. Instead, there’s so many talented artists who come together and are responsible for the look and feel of what you see. There are a lot of heroes behind The Substitute - like Martin Dudzik the Director of Photography and Jenny Kim the Production Designer and Bryce Calder the Costume Designer. I’m just grateful that they trusted me as a director to bring their work into one story, moment by moment. Something really unique about this production is that it was made in 8 days. Truly — filmed, edited, scored, and sound-designed in 8 incredible and exhausting days. It was made through Vancouver’s Crazy8s Film Society, which provides up-and-coming filmmakers with the resources they need to make a short film. I really have to thank them for giving us the opportunity to make a film on this level. I hope that answers your question. It took a bunch of wonderfully talented people, and a very unique opportunity. That’s how we did it.
Do great individual actors/actresses make a great ensemble?
Absolutely! Christina, Stew, Steve, Kyle, Selene - I could just go on listing the actors and actresses I felt so lucky to be in the same room with. Having a large cast of characters was one of the funnest parts in making this movie. Everyone brought something special, and very individual to this imaginary world we were creating.
Do you believe you can enjoy your movie as much as any adventure stories’ fan do? (or not because of having been in the making of)
Maybe I can enjoy it as much as a person watching it for the first time, but in a different way. I remember the process of making the film, and the stories that you don’t see that went into it. I remember the many people who made this with me, and how much I learned from them. And I think “where else could we take this now, how can I push myself even farther next time?”
INTERVIEW WITH KIM NOCE
“From the inside”
INTERVIEW WITH KIM NOCE
CITY OF LADIES
BIOGRAPHY
Kim Noce is an Italian artist filmmaker and animator resident in UK. Her work has been screened in major international film festivals, displayed in art galleries, broadcasted in major TV channels, on streaming platforms and won several prizes around the world including Chicago Int. festival, LIAF, LSFF, IFFEST Document Art , Anima, Sopot and many more.
Do you consider that the film may inspire both men and women equally to question themselves in order to bring new ideas for a change? (as the film is inspired by the life and writing of Christine de Pizan in her book "The Book of the City of Ladies" based on her own "peculiar senses" as a woman)
To inspire that in someone would be a dream, but at least I was lucky some people decided to participated and shared their views.
I very much agree with your view, based in the reading of past pandemics, that this actual pandemic results is a global change. What would you tell to those people who get stuck in their own individual experience, unable to transcender it to a broader one?
This is a very difficult question, once I wish I had an answer fro myself too.
What was the intention underneath the use of red colour?
Life ( the colour blood )
Could we say that the pattern of "thinking, making, watching and feeling" is not only a process of filming but also a worthy way of living?
Yes, rarely achieved.
INTERVIEW WITH MAAYAN SCHWARTZ
INTERVIEW WITH MAAYAN SCHWARTZ
ACTING WEAK
BIOGRAPHY
Maayan completed his BFA at "Sapir- Film School". In recent years he directed six short films both fiction and documentary. Among them the film "My friend ,Yaniv" that was an official selection of IDFA 2016. Maayan is working now on his first feature film "Children of Peace".
How instrumental, undoubtedly painful and unexpected, was Naomi's fall at home during shooting to her portrayal of a weak person that she refrained from depicting as she refused to be so in real life?
Sometimes life dictates the most ironic and iconic situations - this is the reason I am fascinated with documentary storytelling, even when working on fictional scenarios. Naomi's fall was a shock, and a very heartbreaking twist in the making of the film. But though this experience we had the chance to witness her great resilience and continuing defiance of the position of a weak person. She starts strong, and she stays strong - disregarding her bodily condition. I really admire her for it.
I quote her as said in the film "I stopped resisting and enjoyed a great relief"......Could she? for the sake of the film?
The releaf that Naomi felt was the relief of letting go. She stopped resisting the fall, she gave up the need to be in control and for a brief moment before the crash to the earth she actually felt a wave of comfort. The comfort of acceptance. In my perspective, I must admit that it is impossible for me to even try and imagine how it feels to go through such an ordeal. to Understand that something dramatic and life changing is happening to you, understanding you can't change it in any way and finding the place in yourself that can enjoy the way down, enjoy letting go. I can only envy her graceful outlook on her life, and the amazing strength she had - even in moments of complete helplessness and weakness.
You subscribed your film to the Best Short category and I perceived it as a documentary. Would you rather compartmentalize the film into one particular category or is it not an issue at all?
As I see it, there is a blur between documentary and fiction films, almost to the point where it is impossible to tell the difference. From the moment in which there a camera is presented - reality itself is forever changed. This interaction, this interference and its outcomes is what fascinates me. When I wrote a script of a woman falling in her home in the first place, I felt that the film cannot be genuine if only my perspective as a director dictates the structure - because I am a fairly young man that hasn't the slightest idea of what a person like Naomi goes through. This is why it was important for me to give this dichotomy a stage, and document the actual conflict on set, when the actress herself needs to engage with a fictional script - a script that forces fiction and reality to come together for a final performance.
I am eager to hear about your next projects.
I am currently working on a personal full-length documentary called "Children of Peace". The film is about the second generation that grew up in my village, a place called "Oasis of Peace" (Neve Shalom in Hebrew). I was one of the children who were brought up in utopic social experiment in the only community in the world where Palestinians and Israelis chose to live together in co-existence. The film will touch upon global questions, and hopefully, through our stories a bigger story will be told, a universal tale about coexistence among enemies and majority-minority relations. We are a generation that grew up in a mixed and complex community, that had to keep the peace within itself in a land torn apart by a never-ending bleeding conflict. Torn over questions of national loyalty and recruitment to the army, suffering loss, political instability, war, and turmoil– we, the "children of peace" eventually encountered a violent reality.
INTERVIEW WITH MOUHSSINE ENNAIMI
INTERVIEW WITH MOUHSSINE ENNAIMI
MISSING BABIES
BIOGRAPHY
Mouhssine Ennaimi is a director-producer based in Istanbul. He is the co-founder of the award-winning documentary series Off the Grid. He started his career as a correspondent for French networks, working mainly out of South Asia and the Arab world. He lived in Colombo, Mumbai, Jerusalem and Doha. Mouhssine Ennaimi was also Field Producer and has spent more than a decade in hostile environments and war zones. He is the author of 'Slumboy', a portrait of a Slumdog Millionaire type of hero living in Mumbai, and 'The Strength to Say No', a character-driven book about forced child-marriages in India. Off The Grid is aired on TRTWorld
How would you compare the tragedies you've witnessed for over a decade in hostile environments and war zones to the experience of documenting this tragedy striking families due to missing babies?
You don't get use to tragedies and you never get used to hearing dramatic stories. All stories are different and every pain is unique. Therefore you can't really compare them. In Missing Babies what strikes me most is these families are deprived from truth about he fate of their own child. A situation totally unacceptable and definitively unfair. No matter what happened, they deserve truth and justice. Their quest is truly legitimate and their voice has to be louder. Especially when their country not cooperative. Most of the parents will accepted the truth. But instead they feel cheated and ignored and they are givn a financial compensation when they are asking about what really happened to their babies.
How did you get to know about this dramatic subject?
I read the EU Human Right report condemning the state of Serbia. When I start digging and start pre-interviewing these mothers I realised this is a terrible story that has to be told. The more you understand the more the situation is suspicious, and dramatic. The very same pattern. The very same obstructions. They all share the same story. However there are some cases that can be explained with irrefutable and credible evidence. The documentary explains that too.To be fair not all cases are suspicious. And the documentary explains how some cases can be explained as there are credible evidence.That's makes this situation even more award, why the light is not shed once for good so these parents can heal and deal with the truth.
Would you paraphrase Hitchcok's line you wrote as your statement? ("In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director")
There is a gap between the original idea and the final cut. Even with the best research and the best preparation there are always unexpected events and situations. Interestingly those unexpected variables and factors also happen after the filming is done. That's why it also affects the final cut. Sometimes we have bad surprises. Sometimes good surprises. Control freaks should stay away from documentaries.
Do you believe that bringing up the subject in a documentary film could help these mothers in any way to be widely heard? And hopefully get and answer to their pleas.
The genesis and the ultimate goal of this film is to give a louder voice to these women. They have suffered a tragic loss and they never got a chance to see the baby they just gave birth to. No one can accept this. Their story is not local anymore. Their story is now international. Their plight and their quest for truth is known to anyone who watch the documentary. That's why festivals are important as they raise awareness on these sobering issues.
INTERVIEW WITH JORGE G. CAMARENA
Influenced by the tradition of magic realism where cultural symbolism is counterpointed by harsh reality, Im drawn to explore stories that are hidden in plain sight by mixing these elements and portraying the human experience through emotional truth. I’ve always been drawn into stories that deal with people not belonging anywhere and the struggle to be a part of this universe and find our place in it. The beauty of broken things and how they compose us. Believe filmmaking is a dream capturing machine that can not only travel through time and space but also into the most obscure corners of the human psyche providing us with a glimpse of our own existence. It’s been more than a hundred years and we are still trying to understand what can this vessel do, where can it take us and what can it show us, the possibilities keep expanding and the language is still being decoded.
INTERVIEW WITH JORGE G. CAMARENA
NOTHING EVER HAPPENS
BIOGRAPHY
Jorge G. Camarena is a writer/director born in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he majored in Communication Sciences and is currently finishing an MFA as a Directing Fellow in the AFI Conservatory, class of 2020. He has directed commercials for recognized brands, as well as music videos for artists with international recognition.
His work has been reviewed by recognized media such as Rolling Stone, Directors Notes, Remezcla, Fubiz and VICE among others. He has been nominated for several awards including a nomination for Best Video at the Latin Grammy Awards, 4 nominations for the MTV Video Awards and has played at international festivals including as Morelia Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival and Short film Corner Cannes.
His AFI thesis short film "Spaceship" was awarded the Sloan Foundation grant and is currently in post- production. He is in development on his debut narrative feature. A selection of his work can be seen at www.jorgegcamarena.com
Nothing ever happens makes perfect sense to the movie narrative, did it come up afterwards or it came along with the short from the very beginning?
Zack Schaffer (writer), Lucia Zavarcikova (DP) and me sat in a room throwing ideas about the film we wanted to make. We where all at a point of our lives where we connected with the feeling of being trapped and lost both inside our emotions and the physical space of life. We wanted to create a simple narrative where we could explore this isolation and Longing for a change, at the point where even the smallest event can become the most exciting thing in the world. How each of us deals with harsh times internally was the base for the film.
Whose credit is the result of such a homogeneous color grading?
Lucia Zavarcikova, our talented cinematographer.
Is it an actual library or one just set up for the shooting? (it looks so real!!)
It is a real VHS rental store in North Hollywood called Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee. They where kind enough to let us shoot our film there. It is a functional video store, at least it was before the pandemic, so it made perfect sense for our character and story. Working in a place that keeps holding unto the past enhanced what we wanted to portray with out character, taking it to the physical level.
How challenging is directing an actor to express himself without words?
The most beautiful moments of cinema that have impacted my life usuallyt dont have dialogue, i think that the visual language has the power to express all the necessary feelings and a lot of times (not always) words get in the way. So part of the challenge for our wonderful actor Dan Scullin was to embody this character and talk only with his body. which i personally think he managed to do very well. Our character bottles his feelings, so not having dialogue made sense to enhance this aspect.
INTERVIEW WITH WYLIE CHAN
By creating a world that blends reality and fantasy, cinema is the perfect place for bringing our dreams to life.
INTERVIEW WITH WYLIE CHAN
LEMON MILK
BIOGRAPHY
Chan Wai Yee, Wylie
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Wylie graduated from Hong Kong Art School in 2007, with a major in Digital Imaging and Films. Upon graduation, she began her career in the film industry working mainly as an assistant director. Some of the works include “Now you see me 2” by Jon M.Chu, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 2” by Johnnie To Kei-Fung, “Office” by Johnnie To Kei Fung, and “Shock Wave” by Herman Yau Lai-To.
How many actresses have you casted before picking Ng Wing Sze as your best actress for the role?
I have worked with Ng Wing Sze for a few times in various film productions previously. I found this actress amazing and outstanding at her age. She has a great flexibility for different roles. Also, she has a beautiful smile, which is exactly something that I need for this short film. I did considered some other actresses but I believe she is the best fit for this role. Once I have made up my mind, I modified the script and the character together with Wing Sze. During the discussion, she provided great input with lots of inner thoughts of her character Wing, and some of her ideas were inspiriting. Besides, Wing Sze had quite a lot of dialogue, including some insurance’s term. She picked up very fast and she nailed it well. Wing Sze is an impressive young actress to me! It’s a fun and memorable experience to work with her. Congratulation to Wing Sze for winning the Best Actress! ☺
Has the proverb triggered such an original script?
The idea comes from a well-known proverb “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. I was fascinated by the word “lemon” in the quote. It sounds like we can’t fight fate. I began to imagine what would happen if “lemon” rules the world and we have to follow wherever it leads us to. Reading about the chemical reaction when mixing lemon and milk, I then came up with the idea that if “lemon” represents the rules and the destiny, and the phenomenon of the society at large, “milk” reflects the pure and innocence of our human heart. I also changed “lemonade” to “lemon tea” because it’s part of Hong Kong’s local culture. At the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to a typical office, just like any other office in reality; yet they will soon find some abnormality in it.
Why would you say Wing’s pure heart is incompatible with the expectations of this particular demanding system?
The concept of this film is all about how our self-expectation, and maybe the expectation from the others will lead us to adapt the “rules” of the society mechanically. The main character, Wing, illustrates the majority of workforce. In order to pass the job interview, Wing tried her best to follow the rules and obey the orders. However, as the story goes, she was stressed out as her inner-self came into conflict with the reality. Most of us are “well-trained” as Wing. We are used to go with the flow. Eventually, we might lose ourselves and become a robot who has no conscience. The clients represent all the typical characters in our society. Goal-oriented, playing with mind games, chasing the so-called “success”, and even forcing their next generation to be nothing but just like them. However, they never live in the moment and barely enjoy their lives. While Wing is the main character, Examiner Chan is an important role that intrigues me. In fact, I previously wrote another ending that, unfortunately, never get to be filmed because we were out of time and budget. So now, here we go: After Wing has destroyed the system of the insurance world, Examiner Chan and Wing were back in war suit, with water guns loaded with milk. The five clients, or robots, have already lost control after their world has been destroyed. Examiner Chan has come a long way. He has gone through everything Wing was going through in the story. He failed the test but he chose to accept his fate…until he met Wing. He then realized he’s ready to stand up and fight back. After all this time, he is determined to take matters into his own hands.
Have you been inspired by any particular director?
Tim Burton, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze are modern directors who has inspired me greatly. They are very good at telling a story in a surrealistic and a fantastical way. Humours and absurd ideas are always presented even for a serious topic, which allow us to keep questioning ourselves. Their films definitely expanded our imagination.
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERTA DE PAOLI
THE IMAGES OF CINEMA ARE THE MIRROR OF FICTION AND REALITY. THEY ARE VIBRATIONS THAT AFFECT THE STATE OF MIND TO LISTEN TO ONE´S HEART MORE.
INTERVIEW WITH Roberta de paoli
we listen
BIOGRAPHY
She graduated in 1992 at the "Paolo Grassi" drama art school in Milan
mime-dancer at the most prestigious Italian theaters including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and abroad,
and as an actress in some short films. In 2011 he obtained, at the Accademia del Cinema e
television "Griffith" of Rome, the diploma in directing.
Intensive direction and acting workshop at the "Centro sperimentale cinematografia" in Rome, with Stefano Pasetto.
Were Nicoletta’s own words and explanations the script itself?
Nicoletta´s words were not in the script but are spontaneous anwers to my question about her activity, childhood, the relationship with the horses that I had prepared for.
Does it take more and/or longer shoots working with animals than with people?
The shooting took place in two days and we shot a few takes as in telling the activity of the Association there was the primary objective of protecting the well-beingof both the children and the animals present from all forms of stress during the shooting, respecting their rythms and spontaneity.
How did you get to know Nicoletta (passionate connoisseur of horses and a psychologist= hippotherapy)?
I met Nicoletta through a veterinary acquaintance to whom i had confided the desire to tell in a short doc the theme of the relationship between human-animal in the treatmentof disabilities and not , initially thinking, among the interventions assisted with animals, of pets such as the dog or / and cat. Then when I met Nicoletta and she showed me her business, I wanted to deepen the relationship that is created between the horse and the human being through her care.
To what extent has this film turned into a personal experience for you beyond directing?
It was an emotionally engaging experience to take care of a large animal like a horse. Nicoletta, before starting to shoot, invite me to participate in the hippothetapy activities, whose phases consist, for example, in stroking him, brushing him, walking with him and riding him. Finally before returning in to her life, the meeting ended with a long embrace and listening to her breath, universal language of union.
LIVE EVENT JUNE 2022
