Culver City Film Festival 2018 - Soap and Water (Agua y Jabón)
Alicia puts make-up on her face after yet another special night. The intimacy of her world is broken by the doorbell ringing. On the other side there’s Ida, her mother, with some flowers as a birthday gift, and her face strained by the gravity of what she’s about to confess.
Interview with Director Francesco Cocco
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
When I make a film, I always need to put some part of me in it. It doesn't always have to be a direct experience but, somehow, one or more elements of the story should be related to me. In this case, the inspiration came from a situation that a friend of mine experienced. Somehow what she went through had an impact on me. The story I tell is not her story, of course, but her experience, and what I felt at that time; these are the inspirations that led to the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because the film gives a different perspective on a topic that unfortunately is still very present in our society: domestic abuse. It's great that there are lots of films talking about it and lots of festivals giving visibility to it. I think our film offers a different angle compared to what has been shown so far and we hope our work could give a small contribute to raise awareness on this important issue.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
A personal theme is definitely when I show my point of view on this specific topic, that comes to light at the end of the film. A familiar relationship is of course a universal theme, but it's also a personal theme to me. My previous short film talked about the relationship between two parents and their son. This film talks about a mother and daughter relationship. I'm also preparing talks about a father-son relationship. My stories are very much character-driven. There´s a common path there. The main universal theme is definitely the domestic abuse issue.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Writing the script was definitely the most delicate part of the process. I knew I was a man talking about domestic abuse and I was aware that it could have being taken the wrong way from the audience. On the other side, I knew that I was showing an honest angle because related to a friend's experience that touched me. And I was simply telling my point of view. Having said that, I decided to send the script to lots of women and get their feedback and insights to make sure I treated this topic with respect.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The audience is loving it. We got overwhelming feedback by people and festivals and I have no words to describe how much that means to me. The most important and touching feedback I received has been from victims of domestic abuse. They could relate to the situation and felt that the story is told with respect and lots of care. Getting to touch the audience's heart is the reason why we do this job.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has definitely surprised me in the best way. When I finish a film I'm always afraid the audience won't like it. But when you see the positive and enthusiastic reactions, that's always a surprise for me!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The goal of each filmmaker is to get more and more visibility so that audiences around the world get to see your work. The reason why we do this job is to move people. I hope more and more festivals and folks from the film industry will watch it, help us getting a worldwide visibility and help us move people around the world.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Definitely Film Festival directors and journalists can help a lot in giving us visibility. But also buyers and sales agents that could help us putting it in platforms (once the distribution period is completed) and raise some money that would increase the chance of visibility. In the short film industry we make lots of sacrifices to make and move our works. Short filmmakers manage to create outstanding works with very little resources and lots of passion and experience. Any help in the economic field is always a great boost.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love the film to travel around the world and hopefully gives its contribution to a cause that should touch each one of us. I hope the film would make people feel, reflect and talk.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you really understand the struggle of getting out of a domestic abuse situation?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on a feature film about the Dependent Personality Disorder and a new short film that I will be shooting in May.
Interview: December 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Soap and Water (Agua y Jabón)
Alicia puts make-up on her face after yet another special night. The intimacy of her world is broken by the doorbell ringing. On the other side there’s Ida, her mother, with some flowers as a birthday gift, and her face strained by the gravity of what she’s about to confess.
Length: 15:00
Who is being interviewed for this article? Francesco Cocco, director
Director: Francesco Cocco
Producer: EYE SLICE PICTURES, UNA DÉCIMA DE SEGUNDO PRODUCCIONES, S.L.
Writer: Francesco Cocco
About the writer, director and producer:
FRANCESCO COCCO is an Italian director. He writes, directs and produces his first short films in Ireland right before moving to Madrid where he continues working as a film director, scriptwriter and acting for films teacher in a film school. He's currently working at two feature films and one new short film. EYE SLICE PICTURES and UNA DÉCIMA DE SEGUNDO PRODUCCIONES, S.L. are the producers of the short film "Soap and Water" and many other successful films and audiovisual projects.
Key cast: Irene Arcos, Rosa Álvarez, Jorge Cabrera.
Looking for: sales agents, buyers, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Francesco Cocco
Instagram: @francesco_cocco_film
Other: www.francescococco.org
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Screened in several festivals worldwide
More info: