“We are not aware that we are full of possibilities and that life is a constant opportunity to believe in the fundamental: love. It is the story of a mother and her daughter who arrive at the moment when it is time to allow the memory and choose between silence or allow truth and compassion to heal their relationship.” Directors Mayra Hermosillo & Ángel De Guillermo on IN LUCIA’S SKIN which screens at the 2018 edition of VIFF.
Congratulations on your film playing and welcome to VIFF! Is your first time here and are you planning to attend your screenings?
Yes! it’s our first time and we are attending our screenings!
So how did you get into this business? Talk to me a bit about how you got your start and what you have worked on in the past.
My family is not of artists, so it was a decision of my own. What the movies, the music and the theater have provoked me since I was a child invited me to dream of being part of a creative world and an eternal space where you can share. My passion has led me to be vulnerable, to transform myself, to question myself, to try infinitely and to BELIEVE above all things. I am not aware of how I entered this world. It was just a decision I made and I began to find wonderful people in the right places in the perfect time that have made me grow as an actress and writer.
How did this project come together for you? Give me a rundown from the preparation, to shooting, to post-production to now!
I was tired of auditioning all the time and not staying in the projects. In one of those crises I asked myself why I wanted to be an actress and part of this creative world. The answer, after many days of talking to myself, was that I want to have something to say. To provoke a reaction, a reflection, a connection, a change, something. To provoke as I have been provoked all this time by art.
It has been a wonderful process. I met people with a huge heart and who believed in the story. They all made it possible because there was no budget and we were all getting the items for free or at a very low cost. This short film is full of beautiful anecdotes. It’s just a matter of speaking the truth and believing, always believing.
What keeps you going while making a movie? What drives you?
I think there is a point where, however complicated everything is, your new family, it is worth all the trouble to transform the impossible into possible. To remember every day that there are people investing time, energy and money to make this happen and that injected Angel and me with adrenaline to find solutions and move forward.
What was your biggest challenge with this project, and the moment that was the most rewarding to you?
Collect money and organize the dates of the entire crew. As an actress and writer I had no idea how much money is invested in the production of a short film so I started a kickstarter and only asked for $4,300. I was very happy because it seemed like a big budget to shoot. Beginner error. I started to worry when I saw the face of my producers.
After, everything began to flow. The catering, the construction of the circus, the camera, the costumes, the production design, the post production were all a gift, it did not cost.
It’s impossible to do it alone. The best thing has been to meet such incredible people. Our ability to unite to create, to support, to build together. I am happy that the festivals open the doors to us because it is a recognition for all of them, an applause to love, to the truth and to the magic behind each work of art.
I’m about to get technical, but I would love to know about the the visual design of the movie; what camera did you film with, your relationship to the director of photography and how the movie was photographed.
Esteban Robles, our cinematographer, who is also going to be with us at TIFF used a RED Dragon. Esteban is an important piece to achieve filming the short film. He is respectful, he always listened to us and he also got the camera and the lenses at no cost. He invited key people to come forward, people who are our friends today and professionals in the world of cinema.
What are you looking forward to the most about showing your movie here in Vancouver?
Just feel part of it. I think that when this happens then magic happens.
After the film screens at Vancouver, where is the film going to show next? Theatrical, online, more festivals?
We want to subscribe the short film in more festivals.
We have a lot of readers on our site looking to make movies or get into the industry somehow. What is the ONE THING you would say to someone who is wanting to get into the filmmaking business?
Be honest. For me, art is about giving authentic expression to what lives in your heart. Authenticity has a spiritual resonance that we all understand. “Creativity takes courage” It’s ok if you want to leave this BUT before you make any decision be deeply honest with you. “There is a magic in the act of creating something where before there was nothing”. Believe. Trust. If you are meant to come back to your art, you will do so.
And final question: what is the greatest movie you have ever seen?
I have seen a lot of movies that I really enjoyed but my favorite movie in all time is ” Edward Scissorhands”.
For more information on the film screenings at VIFF, point your browser to www.viff.org!