Alex, a conflicted filmmaker, travels all the way to Argentina to meet Sofia, a girl he has an internet relationship with. He will end up living with her, her boyfriend Víctor and his assistant Flor, on an island in the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Interview with Writer/Director Nico Casavecchia

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I’m still trying to answer that to myself. In a way the film tries to address that same question. Why do we do things in the first place? And more importantly: What is our responsibility when we bring movies in a world that is saturated with them. The obvious answer is narcissism, but there is also a component, to me, of digesting all the things I receive, all the images, and movies, and podcasts, and books, and some how metabolising all that into a new work of art. Unfortunately I can’t give you a pre 21st century answer like: I have the burning need to express myself, in a way I do, but I doubt my motives, that’s all.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I think you will have a great time with the characters. I wanted to create a movie that was an invitation to spend time with a group of colourful people. I love those movies that you want to revisit just because you miss the characters. I wanted to infuse that lightness into Finding Sofia, I wanted people to have a great time watching it.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I can tell you what is meant to be in the film, it’s really for audiences to say if it’s actually working or not. Everybody tells you that you should exercise restrain in relation to how many themes or ideas you want to cramp up your first film. It’s hard because you want to say it all at once. It took me a lot of work to reduce the things I wanted to put in the script, I feel a couple remain, mostly questions. Can we really claim we know someone? Alex tries to understand Sofía and the film is constructed in such way that he will keep pealing layers and finding something else there. By the time we think we know someone else they have already changed, we project a fabrication that is created by ourselves. The idea of who they are.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The beauty of independent filmmaking is that the projects change constantly. In a big production film, things are set in stone, and once something has been decided it pretty much stays that way. Indie filmmaking is subjected to so many vicissitudes that you have to be on your feet, ready to change things. You can’t control much in a movie like this! The first thing that changed was the length of the script. I kept reducing it until the last week of pre production, we went on with 150 pages and we ended up with a 3 hour film, we have to re write in post production with Lynn Hobsson, my amazing editor, to end up with a normal length!

What type of feedback have you received so far?

People love the film! It’s overwhelming how much love they give us in the screenings. I feel mostly they enjoy the interaction between the characters and the cultural clash between Alex and the Argentines. So it’s always so rewarding to share the film with people. Doing the film you lose your ability to see it, it doesn’t trigger the same emotions that you would get from a fresh perspective, so you rely on the audience to tell you what film you did.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

During the process of cutting the film we did some test screenings, we invited friends to give their opinion. This experience was key to me because, as I was saying, you lose your perspective after being in the edit room for 4 months, you really need a fresh perspective to tell you what is working and what isn’t. It’s a delicate process because, more often than not, things that you feel are necessary don’t connect with the audience and you have to really take a deep breath and question yourself about them.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Our film needs an audience, and like any independent film, fights for attention in a scene that is crowded with another million films. We really believe Finding Sofia is a movie that people will enjoy and love if they have the chance to see it. Anything that helps us with that is an amazing opportunity.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

At this point in the process we are hopeful we will find distribution soon, so my biggest hope is to get as many journalists to review the film and spread the word.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

My dream would be for this film to meet an audience that I could engage with in an ongoing dialogue. If you like Finding Sofia you may like what else I have in store. I rather connect with very special people that enjoy the kind of film I like doing.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Do you really know who is in the other side of your digital relationship? Finding Sofia is hopefully a great platform to discuss love and work and art production in the digital age.

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you for the opportunity to spread the word about our film! And I want to invite people to follow us on Facebook and stay tuned for our next screenings!

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m working on a short film in VR called BattleScar, about a Puerto Rican-American girl, Lupe, and her relationship with another runaway kid living in the late 70s punk rock scene of the Bowery in New York City.

Facebook @findingsofia

Interview: October 2016

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. 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

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Finding Sofía

Alex, a conflicted filmmaker, travels all the way to Argentina to meet Sofia, a girl he has an internet relationship with. He will end up living with her, her boyfriend Víctor and his assistant Flor, on an island in the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Length: 1:45m

Director: Nico Casavecchia

Producer: Andrew Geller, 1stAveMachine

Writer:Nico Casavecchia

About the writer, director and producer:

Nico Casavecchia is an Argentine Writer, director and illustrator based in Brooklyn. His work include music videos, short films, commercials and features often employing mix media techniques. Nico’s work has collected numerous awards and has been showcased in festivals around the world.

Key cast: Sam Huntington, Andrea Carballo, Rafael Spregelburd, Sofía Brihet

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):

Journalists, film festival directors, distributors, buyers.

Funders:

1stAveMachine

Made in association with:

Release date: Not yet released