Norwich Film Festival - Echo
Adam and Ella struggle to make their day to days count as they aspire to more than they can accomplish in the decadent lows of Hollywood.
Interview with Writer/Director Ruben Pallan
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Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I started writing the script after living in Hollywood for a few years and being inspired by the actual Hollywood residents, who include drug addicts and homeless people. My heart breaks every time I see some of these broken Hollywood people and it was my curiosity about their lives and how they got there that inspired me to write a back story for at least one of them.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think the movie is worth watching if you have ever dealt with grief or addiction. It is not the most uplifting film but it comes from a real place and real emotions.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There are a lot of things from my personal lives in the two main characters and the overall feeling of the film, I don't want to get to specific but I believe everyone goes through extremely low lows in life and it is something we need to talk about more in films.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
I think the essence of the script was captured incredibly by the cinematographer (Athit Naik) and that elevated the story visually. My lead actors, Alex Ribar and Franciska Schissler, did an amazing job at expanding the characters and bringing a new life to them that made the ride much more enjoyable and heartbreaking. It’s hard to pin down exactly what has evolved the most from writing to editing but those two elements stand out the most to me, the acting and cinematography.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It was been very positive so far.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It was very surprising to get such positive feedback, not because I’m not proud of what we did and the film itself, but because everytime I watch it I see a million things that I would’ve done differently today. But I’m sure a lot of people feel that way about stuff they do.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope people enjoy the film, get inspired and motivated to speak their minds and feelings in their films. I would love to hear what people think, honest opinions and feedback to consider them for my next film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I think journalists would be great and film festival directors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope people feel something. Good or bad but to make them feel and think.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What happens when failure wins?
Would you like to add anything else?
I hope people like the film and reach out if they would like to talk about it or something similar.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The director is in pre production for this first feature film to shoot next year. The cinematographer is working on film and commercials in India. The actors are working on several projects at the moment.
Interview: August 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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“Echo”
Adam and Ella struggle to make their day to days count as they aspire to more than they can accomplish in the decadent lows of Hollywood.
Length:
20 minutes.
Director:
Ruben Pallan
Producer:
Steven Biton, Ethan Bergeron
Writer:
Ruben Pallan
About the writer, director and producer:
Ruben Pallan (writer & director) was born and raised in Cancun, Mexico. Since an early age he developed the cliche interest in film, blah blah, cut to years later he moved to LA to study filmmaking and obviously is struggling to make films but enjoying the ride.
Key cast:
Alex Ribar (Adam)
Francizka Schissler (Ella)
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Producers, buyers, distributors, journalists, film festival directors.