Cannes Short Film Corner - Illusory Promises
A traveling young man and a hippie woman do not exactly vibe together in this semiotic parable.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Alejandro Echevarria
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you very much, and thank you for taking the time to conduct this interview! The script was written a number of years ago as an undergraduate thesis project for California State University Northridge, but it did not receive the greenlight from the film department. Some years after, I noticed a few life choices of mine were mirroring that of the main character in the script – a desultory wanderluster, subject to the whims of chance. Subconsciously reenacting events from a film that was never made is a great signifier that, well, perhaps the film should be made!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We hope that audiences looking for an inventively crafted, character-driven piece would take a look at this film. It is a baroquely told ghost legend that we’ve all heard of in one manifestation or another, treated more as an esoteric road film and spiritual parable than, say, a supernatural thriller. It is metaphorical, humanistic, and hopefully inviting enough that you’ll want to watch a second time.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The most readily observable theme is growing up: a young man impulsively decides to leave home and go on the road for the first time. It is set in the present day, however, we were pretty deliberate during production to make the story’s time frame feel more ambiguous in order to magnify that universality. We do not see any buildings in this film. Everything is farmland or undeveloped rolling hills, hopefully suggesting the events could be from an earlier era. The principal exterior location of filming, a particularly isolated locale, was deliberately selected because it visually embodies a particular vision of California: Land untouched, undeveloped, the geographically most Western part of Western Civilization; beckoning perhaps one’s conquest. The location was so minimal it could be broken down into symbolic constituents: grass, rolling hills, car, road, etc.
So, the central point of view is told from a young man, Hector Otálora (played by Ryan Gonzalez) meeting a young woman, Kaleida (played by Kristen Joy Bjorge); both of whom are strangers. Kaleida, who is hitchhiking, has a basic objective of going from Point A (the road) to Point B (San Francisco); Hector, the male driver, has the ability to honor that objective and with that ability he perhaps expects something in return. So one of the larger thematic icebergs is patriarchy, though Hector is not conventionally patriarchal (yet still influenced by it), and Kaleida is a traveler weary of this behavioral dynamic. There’s an innocence in his performance and an ambivalence in hers that dialectically illustrate contemporary problems with privilege and the male gaze.
Then from a standpoint of personal interest, there is a subversive delight taken in making a film that tells instead of shows. Essentially, all the information we receive in the film is deliberately transmitted through verbal language, (dialogue, monologues and AM radio hosts). Some information builds the central narrative, others are red herrings. I was actively challenging the narrow-minded credo that plagues film schools: good cinema shows and does not tell. Future thematic ambitions will hopefully be a little more mature.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
A few passages were omitted in the edit for pacing reasons, but overall the production was quite faithful to the finalized script. We improvised one scene that made it into the final five minutes of the film: B roll of Hector wandering through fog. We were preparing to do poor-man’s-processing car shots inside a garage and then weather outside looked quite attractive. So we went ahead and grabbed that scene which a few people remarked as one of their favorites.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been really positive and encouraging so far! Between Hector, Kaleida and the bartender who listens to Hector’s story (played by Alan E. Ramos), audiences have been able to relate to characters, the stories they tell and some of the situations they’re in. During editing, I was always showing cuts to friends and family members to get their feedback. This was really helpful because one individual, of course, can tell you what works or doesn’t work for them, but when you show it around, you can sort of average all the feedback out.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
For the most part, no.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Having press is always an amazing blessing. There is, of course, the benefit of more visibility and also of having accessible documentation on the film beyond the scope of the work itself, which is very important.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
For this film, certainly journalists and not necessarily just in film, but also writers and commentators in the broader realm of cultural criticism. This is a film to be seen on a large screen in a dark room with an audience, so we certainly want festival directors to program the film. Eventually, this will stream somewhere online after its festival run, so it would be great for this film to have a home somewhere on the internet that is not as broad and anonymous as say, YouTube. It would be amazing to meet with someone interested in the web licensing and distribution of short films. And then, ultimately, the (almost) totally-free yet wholly responsible endeavor of DIY filmmaking has its rewards, however, it is my dream to one-day work with a like-minded producer on future projects.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
By design, the film is supposed to be unpacked and reflected on. Hopefully there’s something substantive for everyone to gain from it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Well, I’ve always wanted to ask an audience this question about the film but there are SPOILERS!
(Although, the film was designed to be more enlightening upon second viewership, so perhaps some brave reader will read and benefit this proceeding SPOILER): At some point in the film, Hector dies. So, a question I’ve always had, as the writer, is at what point does he actually die and how? There are a couple of different possibilities. What does that mean?
Would you like to add anything else?
Save the Carrizo Plain National Monument! Our principal exterior for filming is one of the last preserved open plains in the Southwest and possibly now under threat from the Trump Administration’s executive order that weakens the protection of federal lands.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Our three actors, Ryan, Kristen and Alan are actively working in Los Angeles. Our cinematographer, Erick, works as a first assistant cameraman and I am developing a few more short form projects that can be made in the near future.
Interview: May 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
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
______________________________________________________________________________
Illusory Promises
A traveling young man and a hippie woman do not exactly vibe together in this semiotic parable.
Length: 18:46
Director: Alejandro Echevarria
Producer: Alejandro Echevarria
Writer: Alejandro Echevarria
About the writer, director and producer:
Alejandro Echevarria is a narrative filmmaker, cameraman and Los Angeles native. He accepts Peter Greenaway’s challenge that filmmaking has yet to enter its cubist phase.
Key cast: Ryan Gonzalez, Kristen Joy Bjorge, Alan E. Ramos
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Producers for future projects, film festival directors and journalists.
Made in association with: Cryptogram Collective (Instagram: #cryptogramcollective )
Where can I see it in the next month? We are awaiting responses from a few festivals, mostly in the Western United States. Don’t be strangers on our Facebook page! We post updates of the film’s status regularly.