72 hours after a shattering earthquake hits his hometown, a filmmaker grabs a camera and discovers a universal, first-person tale of memory, loss, and coming back home in the least likely of circumstances.

Interview with Writer/Director Javier Andrade

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

The film came about in a rather strange way: on april 16th, 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Ecuador, including my hometown, Portoviejo. My family were safe but the city had suffered tremendous physical damage and over 600 dead. I took a camera and went there, initially thinking somebody should make a rigorous, detailed and thorough account of the events. What i ended up doing was an intimate, highly subjective travelogue into my own past as I tried to show how the city and my family dealt with a tragedy of such magnitude. I’m quite happy with the final product, as it is the most personal and the most handcrafted of all my films.

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

I think the audience will find that the film’s storytelling is surprisingly universal and deeply emotional , shot with honesty and love (i hope!)

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This film, in particular, is built around the idea of the universal and the personal meshing around an unnerving event such as the one depicted in it. the dichotomy between the universal and the personal dictated how the film was structured, which took a considerable amount of time (8 months for picture editing). You walk in and out of the intimacy of my own family’s home to see the larger picture of how the city and the country is dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake, creating interesting dramatic tension between both dramatic arcs. You’ll have to see for yourselves, but i think this movie is really about the limits of the universal and the personal.

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

Given how this picture came about, there was not script, no pre production, and no shooting plan. I went by insinct and shot for about 3 weeks, then edited for about two months, started to see what the film could possibly be, went back and shot for another two weeks and then more cutting for another six months. it was really, truly written in the editing room, which was a painful, profound and nerve wracking experience.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

People seem to be surprised by the intimacy of the film, and in Ecuador (it was only been screened there) it really touched a nerve with audiences. Many thought that the movie should not focus on my family, but rather on the many more serious victims of the earthquake. To that I say that in order to talk about the larger tragedy, i had to look into what occurred to my loved ones. on the other hand, many filmmakers and film fans have been very supportive and kind to the film, which is always rewarding.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

In a way yes, but mostly it reassured me that I made a film that only I could make on that subject and on those circumstances. and what is filmmaking if not that?

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

I’m curious to see how it plays with an international audience, that’s for sure :)

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

More and more, I feel that a movie is made by the people who were meant to make it, so it shall be seen by the people who are meant to see it, and it shall find the people who want to find it.

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

Certainly I would love it if “52 seconds” will shed some light on Ecuadorian film in general and Ecuadorian documentary in particular. My country’s filmmakers are a force to be reckoned with, waiting to be discovered.

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

At the risk of being reiterative, the key question lies within the limits of the personal and the universal in filmmaking.

Would you like to add anything else?

My grandma is in the film, and she’s the bomb (really).

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m currently on post of my new fiction film, shooting the next documentary project, and developing another fiction film. i just had a baby, so that has made me immensely productive!

Interview: April 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, 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

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52 Seconds

Length: 93 minutes

Director: Javier Andrade

Producer: Ana María Hidalgo

Writer: Javier Andrade

Key cast: Bella Hurtado, Mila Renella, Walter Andrade, Didi Andrade

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

sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists

Social media handles:

Facebook: 52 seconds

Twitter: @javiandradem

Instagram: @javiandradem @punksacine

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

The us premiere will be in may at cine Las Américas Film Festival in Austin, then onto Europe and Latin America (will announce those festival screenings soon)