Triello will be screening at Straight Jacket Guerrilla Film Festival
*How did you get into making films?
Storytelling was always a passion, ever since I can remember. Films, campfire stories, books, myths, legends, TV -specially japanese animation; when I was a little man, playing with friends usually was about getting my friends to play some characters I've imagined or that sort of stuff. Somewhat around high school I started writing a novel, that of course, I'd ended up not finishing. Later on, like a lot of us, I got lost on partying and stuff, that was like my blank state phase. Filmmaking happened just like that, and ever since, It has become my life, the only thing I really care for, except for music.
*What inspired you to make your movie?
I was taking part on a class called "Realización" that was somehow mandatory, however, I was doing it just for the sake of doing it, It was a class that a lot of colleagues recommended me for, so I was for the journey, not so much for the educational sense, like a lot of classes around where I'm from. After an captivating introductory class by filmmaker Leonel Compagnet, they told us what they were after us: we needed to make a short film, with no dialogue, with max 3 main characters. So we'd made groups and started thinking about it. We ended being 6, and each of us had written some brief synopsis like stories to decide what to do, and like a lot of group activities, we couldn't agree on what to do. One day I was on a "bar", more like a typical argentinian coffee shop than a pub, when I've somehow conjured a story about a triello, a three way duel with somehow mythical figures, fighting in a very allegorical game about power and humanity. I'd always had Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone in a very special place in my heart, so I decided, what the hell, no dialogue, what better opportunity to make a very visual stoic film than this. And that was it, I told the others and we agreed on doing it. In the middle we had fights, arguments, some colleagues left the class and the group, but those who stayed had the kind of energy that pushes forward, and we actually made it happen.
*How has your style evolved?
We are always evolving. Just about any artist outhere will tell you that the last work they've done is the best; of course you can happen to disagree with them, after all, art is in the eye of the beholder. What I can say now is that I've learned a lot doing this project, and that a lot of decisions that I'd made on this film I've probably would have done differently now, but that's just life, we are always going forward, I'm not the same person now, so some decisions I'd made back then, probably I wouldn't had made them now. My convictions, however, are intact. As we progress and mature we all become more subtle and precise in the way of telling our believes.
*Tell us any strange or funny stories while making the film?
We were really in a shoestring budget kind of thing, and one night we were storing the lighting equipment we used in the day on the flat of one of the art directors, and as we were finishing moving the equipment, the wind made the door to shut on our faces as we were finishing moving things, the next day we needed the equipment to continue shooting and there was no chance at all to make it all happen again, so it was tomorrow or never. We had no money so couldn't afford a locksmith, but we had no other choice, so I'd called a locksmith, I told him that I could pay him, which I couldn't, so we were all about on his good will. In the middle of the phone call, one of the actors, who is also my best friend, told me that he had opened the door with his credit card, which at the time had no credit left, of course. He was our Christ by the way, I wish he could transform water into wine though.
*The Misrule Film Movement & Pink8 manifesto bring what to mind?
Three things come to mind
First, rules are made to be broken. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing a film who is revolting on a lot of formal crap, a film who literally doesn't give a fuck about everything.
Second, and somehow expanding on the first, comes really the key thing we as artist should always think of, and that is truth. If we are being hypocrites with ourselves how can we say anything about anything. If you are are really tired of the bullshit we see and heard each day, if you are truly disgusted of the oiled machinery that art has become today, if you are truly sick of everyone playing safe and being shy about a truth you feel you need to take of your chest, just do it, in every thinkable way you can conceive, there is no shame in being really authentic, art is just that, it's about telling your truths.
And third, film schools are normalizing tools, and if you are not careful, it can become like following someone else ideas. So break the mold. The most important part in a artistic process is you, nothing else, if you feel that what you are doing is right, it will be right. A lot of things you read or hear on film schools are things that you somehow already knew, intuitively, so in a way is like labeling and understanding mental processes that you already are doing, probably since you first have seen a film, or a tv show. But that rationalizing process can really show you more about yourself, about how you think, and how you see the world, and knowing gives you more security about what you are doing. Of Course, art is subjective, and since it is, I don't see any kind of point of doing it for someone else.
However, here in Argentina, we have our share of problems, some really deep and hurtful ones, but we can proudly say that UNA Audiovisuales has been for us like a family, it's like that special place where we hang out, we chat, we get inspiration, we get support, we share a momentum in our culture, and its free. Without them, also, we couldn't have made this film, since they provided us the lighting equipment and shooting locations for a lot of our film. Sometimes teachers are really being like philosopher's stones for young girls and guys who probably are just looking for some initial push, that initial spark that sets a fire; of course you have to be there looking for a fire.
*What can we expect from your next film?
Transgression, defiance, balls and love.
Currently I'm working on a script, that is the second part of a script I've already written, and I can say that a lot of people are going to be disappointed with the ending, the real one, the one in the second film; but in the end, they will be left with the feeling that there is no other ending possible for this story.
On the other hand, we are currently suffering president's Mauricio Macri aristocratic rules. Since he's been president a lot of crap has happen to our people, specially working class people; but strictly speaking about films, the INCAA has denied to give money to film projects this year, something that never happened in a lot of time, and I mean a lot. One thing you can be sure, if I can do this project, I will do something else, I'm not planning on giving up.
