Authors — Filmmaker Staff
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“I Wanted To Face History So That I Could Understand It” | Milisuthando Bongela, Milisuthando
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Our film has a lot of rare, never-before-seen propaganda footage of apartheid that we were given, kind of in secret, by people who had access to it and wanted to share it with “the right people.” The footage itself was emotionally very challenging, as this was hours of footage of the planning and execution of apartheid by its masterminds. What […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 25, 2023 -
“I Had Always Wanted To Cast Someone Who Had No Filming Experience” | Charlotte Regan, Scrapper
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Our lead character is 12 years old and I had always wanted to cast someone who had no filming experience. Lola, who played Georgie, was the most incredible human I’d ever met. But I think going down this route meant totally catering our filmmaking process to her and Alin. I think filmmaking is intimidating enough without it being your first time […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 24, 2023 -
“When We Lost Those Two Weeks, We Came up With an Alternative Solution” | Danny and Michael Philippou, Talk To Me
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? Initially we thought we might have seven weeks for production, but that quickly turned into five. So, we had to be more strategic about sequences, shots and coverage. For example, we originally planned an elaborate effects sequence that was going to take days to shoot. But when we lost those two weeks, we came up with an alternative solution using […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 24, 2023 -
“I Wanted the Atmosphere To Feel as if the Light Was Slipping Away” | Sing J. Lee, The Accidental Getaway Driver
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? For the most part, this film was a good portion of night shoots. When we shot exteriors in daylight, we were aiming for early mornings or late afternoons, in some cases, gearing towards either of the twilights and the minutes proceeding or preceding it. The importance of the light at these times holds meaning for the moments they appear in […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 24, 2023 -
“Augusto Was No Longer Communicating as Before” | Maite Alberdi, The Eternal Memory
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? The most unexpected—or the most difficult—part of the film was the uncertainty of when to finish filming it. Of course, it’s always very difficult to end the recording of a documentary. But this was a film that when we started, we didn’t know when it would be [finished], and that was the main question. When the day came, and Augusto […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2023 -
“Our Equipment Partner Pulled Out of the Project With No Explanation” | C.J. Obasi, Mami Wata
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? The biggest challenge we faced came at the very beginning of our shoot. The cast and crew had all arrived at the camp, and we were smack in the middle of rehearsals, building sets, finalizing costumes, etc. Then our equipment partner pulled out of the project with no explanation. So here we are, in a remote community in the Republic […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2023 -
“The Set Was Built Inside a Real House”: DP Fran Fernández-Pardo on MAMACRUZ
When family matriarch Cruz (Kiti Mánver) discovers porn during what began as an innocent Internet search, she is awakened to a passionate sensuality that she’s spent her entire life successfully repressing. Unsatisfied by her husband and consumed by newfound curiosity, she joins a women’s sex therapy group in order to better understand her body’s carnal needs. DP Fran Fernández-Pardo tells Filmmaker about shooting MAMACRUZ, the Spain-set film from Venezuelan director Patricia Ortega. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2023 -
“The Main Goal Was To Make the Audience Connect With an Unusual Protagonist”: Editor Fàtima de los Santos on MAMACRUZ
A routine Internet search turned pornographic discovery is what prompts Cruz (Kiti Mánver), a devoutly religious grandmother, to experience a latent sexual awakening. Though she’s initially stricken with a classic case of God-fearing shame, Cruz embarks on a path of sensual self-discovery via a local women’s sex therapy group in MAMACRUZ, Patricia Ortega’s latest film. Editor Fàtima de los Santos discusses how she got the audience to connect with an “unusual” protagonist, how she aided in changing the MAMACRUZ‘s narrative structure and the difficulty of working on a film without background music. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2023 -
“Losing That Location Was a Blessing in Disguise” | Andrew Bowser, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? The finale of our film takes place in a cemetery. Our plan was to shoot on location at a cemetery that was 15 minutes away from our primary mansion location (where the bulk of our film was shot). Days before the finale was to be filmed, we lost the cemetery location. It was run by the city and I think […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 23, 2023 -
“I Became Unexpectedly Pregnant!” | Ella Glendining, Is There Anybody Out There?
Every production faces unexpected obstructions that require creative solutions and conceptual rethinking. What was an unforeseen obstacle, crisis, or simply unpredictable event you had to respond to, and how did this event impact or cause you to rethink your film? The most unpredictable event I faced while making my very personal documentary is that I became unexpectedly pregnant! I immediately recognized this as an obstacle to the story I’d originally set out to tell, but equally felt strongly that it was a gift, both to me and the film. I allowed the pregnancy and becoming a parent to become an […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 22, 2023
