Bound
An oppressed gay man transcends the horrors of his reality. His acceptance of who he is, his resilience and the love he’s experienced empowers him to resist his oppressors.
Interview with Oli Cohen, Nicolas Blanco
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
While working in documentary with organisations such as Human Rights Watch I met victims of torture face to face. Being drawn to social realism I wanted to tell a story grounded in truth that involved tragedy, injustice and suffering yet countered with beauty, love and resilience.
The film was also inspired by the recent horrific anti-gay purges in Chechnya.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film will hopefully not only give the audience an experience but it'll also help them feel something and empathise with the characters on the screen.
Whilst the subject of the film is heavy and dramatic which is reflected in the imagery, the dark elements are countered with beauty and the empowerment of the individual.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
In the west we're often in a state of complacency about how progressive the world is yet we need to take a step back to realise that there is still progress to be made and that the progress we've attained is more fragile than we believe.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Initially the film was going to be about a man on death row. We became more and more interested in the back story of the main character. The concept of a man being in imprisoned for his sexuality resonated with us especially after we came across the testimonials of survivors of the gay purge in Chechnya in 2017.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've received some great feedback. A number of people responded well to the film saying it was incredibly affective and concise and that the story and it's clarity stayed with them afterwards. Comments also included an appreciation of the beautiful imagery and how the different tones were used to seperate time periods and emotions.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We weren't particularly surprised by the feedback overall. We were happy though that people connected to the film and were moved by it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We're keen for the film to connect with a larger audience particularly. The fact that www.wearemovingstories.com specialize in films about inclusion is very much aligned with us.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film Festival Directors and distributors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ultimately we'd like the audience to be moved by the film and for the film to also spark the conversation about queer rights and how unfortunately they very much still need to be protected around the world.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Where could this film take place?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
A gay true crime docu-series, a sci-fi relationship drama, a coming of age environmental drama and a NGO documentary out in Kenya.
Interview: November 2021
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
Bound
Length:
3:00
Writer
Cinematographer / Director
Nicolas Blanco & Oli Cohen
Oli Cohen is a Los Angeles and London based cinematographer. He's filmed all around the world on documentaries, short films and commercials, as well as on projects for NGOs, such as UNHCR and Save the Children. His documentary work has been broadcast on TV channels such as ARTE and the BBC and his narrative projects have been screened at festivals internationally.
Producer
Nicolas Blanco
Nicolas Blanco is a queer filmmaker from Bogota, Colombia. He worked on the feature ACCIDENTAL BLESSING, which can be found on Amazon before getting an MFA from the American Film Institute. His work has been featured in several film festivals around the world. Nicolas’ passion lies in highlighting new voices that add to the cultural conversation and in pushing the boundaries of the medium.
Key cast:
Mac Goodspeed - Alek, Trevor Hudson - Zelim
Looking for:
film festival directors, buyers
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/olicohen/
https://www.facebook.com/nicolas.bonillablanco/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/olicohen/
https://www.instagram.com/thisisnotnico/
Hashtags used:
#Bound #loveisnotacrime #humanrights #lgbtfilm #queerfilm
More info:
www.olicohen.com
Made in association with:
AFI Conservatory