Behind the Scenes at the Cannes Film Festival

Synopsis:
A boy whose only family is his elder brother has sex with a man for money. Caught short of cash, the man suggests they meet again the following day and asks for his number. But the boy’s cell phone has been confiscated by his brother who won’t give it back.

How would you describe your film?

I want my films to be seen as a poetry for those who have to fight for their happiness, and an attempt to closely depict the hidden part of life that people don’t usually like to talk about.

What kind of approach to the story was important for you as a director?

I am interested in human nature in its deepest aspects. Naturally, it is important for me to observe and describe the lives of people in detailed reality. Their actions, especially the ones that are tabooed by society are what mostly make up my films. Besides, those who make such actions usually end up facing ironical situations that vividly unveil the problems in our current society. It is the only way for me to appeal to the audience and convey certain emotions.

What kind of difficulties did you have to face while shooting?

The main problem is finance. In addition, there’s always the matter of the gaps between what I pictured in my head and the images I got in the end. I am not very familiar with technical stuff either, and it’s also hard for me to control the film crew because sometimes I can’t be angry even when I should be.

What do you expect from the Cannes Film Festival?

I am very excited about being actually invited to the Cannes Film Festival, which I only used to read about in magazines and stuff. Besides, being able to be at the same place with such filmmakers as Pedro Almodóvar and Gus Van
Sant is an honor for me. I am also expecting to see all the various works of filmmakers from around the world at Cannes..

Are you planning your first feature film or do you want to keep on doing short films?

Once I’m more settled as a filmmaker, I would like to make both feature and short films. Of course, making a feature film that can be screened in major theaters has been my dream, but short films do have their unique attractions. Considering the realities, I assume I will make a couple of more short films before I’m able to make a feature film, if given a chance.

Find more interviews and articles about the World of Shorts in our Cannes 2011 Special Edition!

Behind the Scenes at the Cannes Film Festival

Synopsis:
Salsipuedes is a particular approach to different shades of violence against women in a family environment. With this film, I attempt to explore how this violence is maintained and naturalised verbally. I also try to create a contrast between the harmony and peace of nature and the tension and ambiguity of our human world.

What kind of approach to the story was important for you as a director?

I am interested in talking about this kind of violence, very present in my social environment in this particular way, to the women. Also, when I travel by bus in Cordoba (Argentina), where I live, I often hear others talking with a high dose of violence hidden in humorous comments. I think this resource – overhearing ordinary people’s chats – is very rich. I believe this is an idiosyncrasy of Cordoba.

What kind of difficulties did you have to face while shooting?

The film was made with a low budget but this turned out not to be an impediment. On the contrary, it strengthened the creativity and commitment to work. We shot the film in 6 days in 3 locations, relatively close to each other. The main difficulty was the rain, the classic enemy of the shooting. It rained a lot those days, fortunately we were able to rearrange the schedule and we managed to adapt. We worked with a very willing crew, we all got along great. They have even created new job opportunities together since.

What do you expect from the Cannes Film Festival?

My main idea is to see how the most important agent of legitimization in the world of film works. I’m intrigued to find out how this mechanism works. I would like to meet people and see lots of movies. In the official competition this year, there are several directors whom I admire and it’s all very exciting. I’m going to Cannes with the purpose of networking so that Salsipuedes could continue to be selected at other festivals and could be released in other countries, also in Argentina.

Are you planning your first feature film or do you want to keep on doing shorts?

I am planning to continue the Salsipuedes project with a film of 65 or 70 minutes. Now, I am travelling to Cannes with a new project that is in the process of script development, looking for funds to be able to finish it. The title is “Amorosas” and it deals with human relations within the family and in the workplace. Its background is a recent historical event of Argentina, a political conflict between the state and the agricultural production sector, that has a high purchasing power. As a resolution, the state tried to tax soy exports. There were many protests of the financial upper class on the streets. I’m interested in researching how the middle class supported this wealthier class and how the lower classes, with their real needs, were left out.

Find more interviews and articles about the World of Shorts in our Cannes 2011 Special Edition!

Behind the Scenes at the Cannes Film Festival

Synopsis:
It’s a story about a couple that’s been married for a long time. They both feel like there’s something missing between them and they each escape into their own, very different worlds. The woman tries to get her husband to follow her into the world of Japanese (pop-)culture. The whole story is constructed like a Japanese legend, but it takes place in a Western setting.

How did the story come to you?

I read somewhere that there are women in Japan who wake up at 5 am each morning to create a little edible work of art for their children. Food is cut out with great care to look like characters from popular anime and manga series. For me, this was a perfect subject to write a story about because I wanted to make a short movie that drew from the Japanese films which influenced me the most.

What was the production like for the film? Was it easy to get the financial background? How long did it take to make it?

I worked on the film throughout my last year in Sint-Lukas. It was filmed on a very low budget, and I was really fortunate to have a lot of people who believed in the project and invested their time in it. There were also some big setbacks, but they’re easily forgotten when you see that people appreciate the result.

What do you expect from the Cannes Film Festival?

I still don’t really know what to expect. The Cinéfondation programme was created to give young directors a platform to show their work, so I hope there will be some opportunities to get some advice from people who have already proven themselves in this world. The only sure thing is that it will be a very unique experience and I’m very fortunate to take part in it.

What are your plans for the future? Do you want to keep on doing short films?

The project I’m working on right now is a feature length film because I’m impatient to have the time to tell a story on a larger scale. So far I’ve constructed my stories as if they were going to last for two hours on the screen, leaving away all the excess to make it fit into a realistic budget and small amount of shooting days. However, I’m not opposed to making other short films or music videos because I also like the larger amount of freedom they give.

Find more interviews and articles about the World of Shorts in our Cannes 2011 Special Edition!

Behind the Scenes at the Cannes Film Festival

Synopsis:
Suu et Uchikawa tells the story of an elderly Japanese man and his young Burmese partner finding their union at threat when the immigration services discover that she resides in Japan illegally. It is told in the form of a long interview across their home, blurring the line between fiction and documentary, and brings about the intrusive nature of an investigation into a very intimate setting.

You also have the editor’s credit on your short film. How do these two artistic approaches work together?

I tried to wear very different hats by staying away from the footage for about two months from the moment I got it back from the lab. Going back to it with fresh eyes helped me look at it objectively and see what we shot as opposed to what I wanted to shoot.

What was the production like for the film? How long did it take you, how did you fund it, etc?

Seven 12-hour days of shooting. The movie was shot in a three-storey-house, in the centre of Tokyo. It was rented empty, for ten days. This left us enough time to dress it for the first three days (from wallpaper to furniture and props). Myself and my cinematographer then slept on the premises during the shoot, and would pre-light for the  next day each night. Our crew from NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia got help from Japanese producers and local students interested in the project, all working for free, which helped us keep the budget under 7,000 dollars.

What do you expect from the Cannes Film Festival?

To gain access to professionals potentially interested in my first feature project, to be shot in Paris and Tokyo. But also to get my short film distributed, meet future collaborators, and watch great films in a great setting.

What are your plans for the future?

To keep directing narrative and documentary films, ideally for projects involving France and Japan since my roots are very much anchored in both countries.

Find more interviews and articles about the World of Shorts in our Cannes 2011 Special Edition!