A distraught woman contemplates the night as she floats towards a vision, a duel against her mentor as she questions her place regarding the world of nature around them.

Interview with Directors Gonzalo Moiguer and Rodrigo Melendez

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Chapter 4 Ophelia comes to be from parts of a feature we're still working on, called "All the Stars are Dead". Post-production became so long and we were eager to show the film that we made this short to show one of our favorite scenes. The movie started both as a response to internet negativity towards vertical videos, as well as the accumulation of ideas and images we had been writing down. We firmly believe that film is not a static medium, boxed inside a format that only benefits large scale production, but a dynamic art form ready to accept any kind of experimentation. Our ideas and images evolved into half a year of rehearsal, mixing improvisation with actors with scripted scenes.

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

We think it’s interesting that by framing vertically and being centered in dance and bodies, this film allows the audience to have a different proximity than what is regularly perceived.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This short explores the fracturing relationship between two women, a strong mentor and a conflicted student. A dream embodies tensions through dance.

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

We actually started with no script whatsoever, but with some ideas and images. We got together a cast of four incredible actors and started working these ideas with them. They evolved and changed form many times, until we wrote down the movements and body relationships they achieved, almost as choreographic. We even had long rehearsal sessions between shooting different scenes, so were able to accommodate things we thought were not working out. I would say our production scheme was rather atypical, almost opposed as what we were taught in film school. In a strange way, I think scripting was the last thing we did in our process, to organize montage.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Feedback has been mostly positive, thankfully. We’ve had many vertical film detractors, on the internet specially, criticizing whether the format is right or wrong, and that it would result uncomfortable or inconvenient to view such films. We think this struggle is erroneous, but it’s about all the possibilities film is missing by being subjugated by industry standards.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

We have had many friends and colleagues watch some rough cuts, and taking notes as to whether the plot becomes very dense or hard to follow. While narrative is present, it is not our main focus. There is a story being told, but we are much more interested in the climates and moods of the characters towards their own relationships.

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

We believe it's crucial to create communities to strengthen similar points of view, especially in independent movements, when hegemonic narratives are challenged.

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

We are mostly looking for funding to afford color correction and sound mix for the feature film, as well as distributors to move this short and the final feature, so that our film can reach the proper audience.

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

Many people watching this short said they didn’t want it end, to see how this two women relationship evolves. We are working hard in order to finish post production for the feature film.

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

For us, creating this film sparked two questions. One is how much of our identity we trust on digital platforms. We chose a poetic approach to the problem of identity theft, but the issues are very real. We started this road a few years ago, yet we are not surprised at how this discussion has brought so much attention recently. On another thread, we worked on family dynamics, as the actors live together in an isolated house, while eternally rehearsing for the small roles they play in people’s lives.

Would you like to add anything else?

This film would not be possible without the hard work by the incredible cast and crew such as Mariana Livieri, Pablo Lozano, Felipe Cura, Federico Grinbank.

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

Gonzalo Moiguer has just exhibited Cell Memories at the School for Poetic Computation in New York, while also designing a VR interaction tool for the IDIS Project.

Gabriela Moiguer and Agustín Pisani, the Actors Directors, are working on “Principio de Aproximación”, a two female lead theatre play on Buenos Aires, which developed from an improvisation workshop.

Interview: May 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, 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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Chapter 4: Ophelia

A distraught women contemplates the night as she floats towards a vision, a duel against her mentor as she questions her place regarding the world of nature around them.

Length: 6 min.

Director: Gonzalo Moiguer and Rodrigo Melendez

About the writer, director and producer:

Gonzalo has either of two ways: deep study, respect for structures and systems, or mixing wires experimenting. He believes the best work comes from a point in between. When asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, his response was "an inventor".

Rodrigo Melendez is a “director of stuff”, he develops his works in the fields of image and music, performing more classical and ancient sounds and experimenting with more contemporary images.

Key cast: Paula Trucchi and Silvia Kaehler

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

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todaslasestrellasestanmuertas/

Made in association with: Ala Norte

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

It will be screened May 9 at Producer’s Club in the context of the NYC Independent Film Festival.

Tickets available at https://www.nycindieff.com/film/chapter-4-ophelia