Based on real events, MANI CURA tells the stories that lie behind the lawns-and hands-of Colombia's wealthiest women. Tere, the local manicurist who visits their homes, becomes the repository of confessions that reveal their lives are not what they appear to be. (Part 1: Tere & Beatriz)

Interview with Writer/Director Gisela Savdie

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! I wrote the story a long time ago. The film is based on some testimonies from women I had treated while working in the medical field in Colombia, and while volunteering with women’s support groups. The level of abuse that you can find in the least expected environment shocked me, and writing about it was a way of dealing with feelings of frustration and impotence. The stories stayed in the computer for many years until now that I decided to get them out. This short is inspired in one of them, or better, a combination of them. I introduced the character of the manicurist, because it’s a fixture among certain groups of women, and to show that abuse affects people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and all levels of education.

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

Submission and abuse can affect every human being, regardless of gender, race, social class or age. The more we talk about it, the better. Even though we may think it’s been told too many times, it’s still happening, and the #metoo movement is a proof of it. There’s still a lot to be said and done. In this particular episode I’m using the nail polish color as a metaphor, but there are infinite ways of portraying it.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This specific story seems to be very personal, and shows a woman with her own taboos and prejudices, but the message is universal. There are many countries with similar situations, not only in Latin America, but also in Asia and the Middle East. Even in Europe and the US, the so called “developed world”, we still find women reluctant to denounce abusive situations. Also, the movie touches other aspects like social status, politics, and religion, that are universal as well.

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

What struck me the most during the evolution of the film was the post-production part. Even though my original idea was to film a manicure session in real time, I ended up editing it, and creating a whole new movie, with the help of the editing team, Guillermo Benitez and Ilana Savdie.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The film has been shown only to colleagues in the film industry, and the feedback has been very good. The drama kept them interested till the end, and they laughed at the funny/ironic parts. But it hasn't been shown to a general audience yet.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I could say it confirmed my point of view. It made me realize that real changes are very slow, and that tradition, be it cultural or religious, is so ingrained in people’s minds that they are capable of sacrificing their own beliefs in order not to be rejected from their communities or social groups. I met very smart women whose lives have been cut short because they were afraid to lose their economic stability or their social status.

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

I think this kind of exposure will help to make short films more visible, and bring a greater audience to them.

Short films, like short stories, have always fascinated me. The possibility of telling a whole story in a condensed form is an art.

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

All of them, I would say, but maybe the most important for me would be a good sales agent. As an artist, I find selling and promoting the most difficult part, and I’d rather be in my studio writing or creating new projects than trying to sell or negotiate a deal.

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

I’d like to be able to continue working on this project. MANI CURA can become a mini-series. Each character that’s mentioned has a story to tell. This first chapter deals with Tere and Beatriz, and Tere becomes the centerpiece, and receptacle of all the confessions.

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

I would like the audience to come up with the questions, because the movie touches a lot of topics, but maybe the most thought provoking would be submission.

Would you like to add anything else?

Film has been my passion since I was in high school, and even though it was not my main profession for many years, I have been involved in it either as a film critic or in organizing film groups. The last group has been meeting weekly for more than ten years. It even has a name, cinemArtes, and presently I’m a film critic for a newspaper in Colombia and an online magazine in Spanish. But making a movie was a whole new experience that made me change the way I analyze film.

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

As I mentioned before, I would like MANI CURA to evolve into a mini-series. I’m writing another script for a short film with LGBTQ content, and also producing a long feature that’s being filmed in Bolivia, directed by Bahman Tavoosi called Los Nombres de las Flores (The Names of the Flowers).

Interview: May 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

MANI CURA

Length: 13:34

Director: Gisela Savdie

Co-director: Danny Holguin

Producer: Toy & Butterfly Films

Executive Producer: La Gacela Ciega

Writer: Gisela Savdie

About the writer, director and producer:

Gisela Savdie is a Colombian artist/writer, Master of Arts and a doctorate in Dental Sciences. Film Critic for El Heraldo in Colombia and Letra Urbana in Miami.

Daniel Merendoni is a producer and assistant director, known for Jimmy’s Universe (2015) and the Fixer (2017)

Key cast: Ana Lucía Delgadillo, Ika Santamaría, Liliana Lopez (V.O.)

Looking for: Sales agents, buyers, distributors, journalists

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MANI-CURA-short-film-by-Gisela-Savdie-383322102139384/

Twitter: @manicura2018