CANNES SHORT FILM CORNER - The Lucky One
After New York City sunny Boca Raton is home to the second highest population of Holocaust survivors in the United States.
Watch The Lucky One here:
Director: David Cerqueiro
Producer: David Cerqueiro & José Antonio Cerqueiro
About the director and producer: David Cerqueiro is a Venezuelan Director based in Barcelona, Spain. His work is heavily marked by a strong attention to image detail fused with an aura of strangeness from all of his subjects.
Producer: The Cerqueiro brothers are a Venezuelan duo (Director/Cinematographer) who, since 2015, have embarked in developing their own independent productions in search of their own voice as filmmakers.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Buyers, distributors, media coverage.
Funders: Self funded.
Made in association with: Independent.
Release date: May 16th 2016
Why did you make a film called THE LUCKY ONE?
The name is a quote from the main character, 91 year old Holocaust survivor Mrs. Minia Gdanski, when she refers to herself and her whole world war II experience.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The Lucky One is a very short film, only 4 minutes of running time, so it is intended to evoke, in a very brief way, a subtle perspective about the subjects of time, cultural identity, generational privilege and history.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The brief but intense recount of Mrs. Minia's memories, as told by herself, resound profoundly with everyone's idea of survival.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
This project was born out of the need my brother José Antonio and I felt from living in a place like Boca Raton in south Florida. If you have never been in Boca, all you need to know is that nothing ever happens over there. It is a very placid place designed for retirees. We wanted to prove that even in such a place there are stories to be told. So, within that frame of thought, one day I stumbled upon the curious fact that is our tagline. From then on everything was about finding the proper measure to tell what we wanted the way we wanted.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The Lucky One has been very well received so far. We feel very grateful about it. Recently it was selected amongst 10 short films, out of 170 submitted works, to compete for Spain in the Sundance Channel Shorts Competition 2016. It is still on the festival circuit, so we suspect there is more to come.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We are indeed surprised that such a symbolic and brief piece has received the attention it had so far. Some people have found themselves with too many questions after watching the film and have come to me to ask me about meaning, intention, etc. Some others just love it right away and seem to get it. It is, we know, not an easy film to fully absorb. But I'm fine with that.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I find initiatives like We Are Moving Stories very courageous to begin with. I think that, when managed properly, they can become powerful tools for promotion, showcasing and attracting the right people from the industry. We are glad we have been invited and we look forward to simply show our work to all kinds of people.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Well, the film is finished and it is what it is. We would be glad to meet any interested buyers, TV networks, etc. who would like to include it in their catalogs.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Due to its brief nature, The Lucky One is to me more of an aperitif than a main course. I'm sure that if its understood as such, it could be appreciated in its right dimension. All I care about is that you suspend yourself, even for those 4 minutes, and let what we are saying sink inside of you. If we manage to do that, we would feel already served. Hopefully, after that you'd feel the impulse to share it with your friends and family.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What are real problems and “acquired” problems? What does it need to happen in our lives order for us to call ourselves “The lucky ones”?
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We started working on a script based on an original fictional story I published some years ago when I used to write fiction on a weekly basis for a daily newspaper in Venezuela. All I can say by now is that it is a very melancholic and dark female character exploration set in rural Venezuela. We hope to start pre-production some time this year.
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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