Culver City Film Festival Best Experimental Feature Film 2018 - In Transit
Two people meet by chance while stranded at the airport overnight. They never expected that the casual conversation with a stranger would change their lives forever.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Julia Camara
Watch In Transit on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you so much! The film is about a casual encounter at an airport that becomes life-altering. I’m originally from Brazil but have lived in the US for almost 20 years. I have travelled a lot back and forth in the past two decades. I have more stories about traveling than anything else. I always wanted to set a film at an airport. It’s such a vulnerable place to be in sometimes. Whether you’re flying to see a loved, or you’re going home, or you’re trying to get away from home, the entire spectrum of human stories can be found at their airport at any given moment. I also wanted to tell stories about Latinx characters that didn’t portray them as stereotypes. And, most of all, I wanted to make an experimental film. Most of this movie was shot in one day with no script, only improvised dialogue. The two lead actors had never met before until they got on set and weren’t sure what to expect. So, as we shot I guided the narrative and tweaked the performances and the flow of information they would reveal to each other. Of course, editing was another process of discovering and creating the story.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Everyone can relate to being stranded at the airport after a missed flight or delay. Sometimes we strike a conversation with someone we would never have met under any other circumstances. The film is a slice of life. It can feel like you’re eavesdropping on someone’s conversation. They get very personal as they open up to each other. The conversation builds to a cathartic end for the two of them. And I hope as the audience watches that they experience part of that catharsis themselves.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There’s so much of myself in the film. I started developing the idea for the film with my husband and producing partner, Tim Aldridge, after we became parents. It was the first time in our lives where we really thought about our own mortalities. There’s a scene in the film, one of the flashbacks, where the improvised dialogue came from a real moment between my husband and I. From the beginning I knew one of the characters would be a parent with their own personal journey being deeply affected by parenthood. I also know all to well what it’s like to leave everything behind to pursue a dream. And sometimes the cost of that dream is being away from your family for major events; deaths, births, birthdays, holidays, etc. You could say each of the two lead characters represent a part of my own personality
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This project was unique because it was always meant to be shot without a script. It’s an experimental film. I had an outline of the story and only told the actors what they needed to know about their own characters. As we shot I molded the story and tweaked the performances and the flow of information slightly. So, the story I set out to make is similar to the one we shot, but as the actors came on board they brought their own spin to the characters and added a lot of rich details that I never expected to see in the film. Branca Ferrazo’s character, Olga, had a different storyline when I first pitched the film to her. She brought in elements from her real life that we then incorporated into the film. A similar process happened with Oliver Rayón’s character, Daniel. So much of the film was tailored to their personalities and skills.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People have been shocked when they hear the actors improvised all their dialogue. They want to understand why I would set out to make a film under this premise. What motivated me to make the film in this unusual way was the potential for my own growth as a director and story teller. And also the fact that I wanted to shoot it in one day. I wanted the film to feel like it really happened over the course of one night. I also really wanted to see the actors reacting as they hear information for the first time. So, if you watch the film and catch yourself thinking that they look uncomfortable, they actually did. They have approached me and told me how relatable the story and characters are. They shared interesting anecdotes about travel experiences.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The film has sparked a lot of conversations about loss, grief and how one decision (good or bad) can shape your entire future. It has sparked an interesting conversation about the dynamic between spouses, talking to strangers, and whether or not we do tell our life stories to people we just met, or if it’s a scenario created only in the movies.
It’s interesting to hear the moments where people love one character versus the other. Even the actors, who really only knew the entire plot of the film once they saw it, had their own guttural reactions to film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Given the true indie nature of this film, our biggest challenge is finding our audience. We’re always looking for the best ways to get the word out and get the film seen.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The film is currently playing festivals and also available on Amazon Video. Because of the nature of this experimental film I always envisioned a different distribution model for it. We premiered on line at the same time we were playing festivals. So, there’s more than one way to see our film. Go to https://tinyurl.com/intransitmovie to see it now. I’m currently looking to expand to other VOD platforms in 2019 and have it available worldwide as well. So, sales agents, festival directors and journalists would help us reach a broader audience.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We’re very grateful to have screened the film at Glendale International Film Festival where we won Best Experimental Film and at Culver City Film Festival where we won Best Experimental Feature Film. We also were an official selection of the Top Indie Awards, an online festival, where we won Best Experimental Film. We’re hoping to have a broader audience in 2019. I would love to share this film with as many people as possible.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I hope that the unique way in which the film came to be; the experimental form with no screenplay, will get people curious to see it. It’s a character piece about flawed human beings, so don’t come looking for heroes to save the day. I think maybe the biggest question I have asked myself while developing the film is “Can one choice define your future?”
Would you like to add anything else?
We are very excited to announce we have won three awards so far: Best Experimental Film at the Glendale International Film Festival, Best Experimental Feature at the Top Indie Awards and Best Experimental Feature at Culver City Film Festival.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Julia Camara and Tim Aldridge are developing a short film about the first female police officer in the LAPD, based on an original feature length script by Julia. The crowdfunding campaign will launch in early 2019. Check Julia’s website for updates.
Oliver Rayon has a film coming out next year “Room For Rent” starring Lin Shaye (from the “Insidious” Franchise), Valeska Miller and Oliver Rayon. “Room For Rent” will open the Sedona International Film Festival on February 23rd 2019.
Branca Ferrazo’s aerial rope act can be seen on Vimeo.
Eve Weston recently created and acted in the world's first 360/VR sitcom, The BizNest, premiering soon. The holiday musical teaser is out now – to watch, learn more, or follow the show on social media, go to exelauno.co.
Kim Burns has launched a horror movie comedy podcast.
Interview: December 2018
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
In Transit
Two people meet by chance while stranded at the airport overnight. They never expected that the casual conversation with a stranger would change their lives forever.
Director: Julia Camara
Producer: Tim Aldridge and Julia Camara
Writer: Julia Camara
About the writer, director and producer:
JULIA CAMARA (director, producer, writer) is a Brazilian award-winning writer/filmmaker living in Los Angeles. She has written the features films 'Area Q', 'Open Road', and 'Occupants'.
TIM ALDRIDGE (producer) is a filmmaker, photographer and cinematographer who collaborates often with his wife, writer and director Julia Camara. He produced the short films “How to Get a Date,” “Unsolved,” “Bikini Blues,” and “Super Morning.”
Key cast: Branca Ferrazo, Oliver Rayón, Kim Burns, Eve Weston, Al Danuzio.
Facebook: In Transmit the movie
Twitter: @juliamca
Instagram: @juliamca
Other: http://intransitthemovie.com/
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Amazon video.