Cannes Short Film Corner / Hidden Door Film Festival - Are you holding me, or am I holding myself?
Are you holding me, or am I holding myself is a self study examining the relationship between our minds and our bodies, our thoughts and our actions, and the sometimes insurmountable gaps between what we think we want to feel and what we actually experience.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer César Brodermann
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
All the artwork I make comes out of necessity whether it is personal or something I need to express, and whether it is through movement/ photography or film. This performance and film for me was therapy and helped me let go of my own traumas and I wanted to share this message.
This idea started with this sentence "Are you holding me or am I holding myself”? and I asked myself what does this sentence mean to you?… It’s when you're in a relationship and this other person is just there. "Are you holding me or am I holding myself" within this relationship?
From there I have found many other things - it's not necessarily romantic. It comes out at the work level or with a friendship. It happens whenever you’re fighting for something and they are just there. It’s worse than if they say, "no".
My other activation was within myself; when you hold yourself - from going to places or positions because of fear or insecurity. We are always holding ourselves back from achieving our full potential as human beings.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think people should watch this film to understand patience; that’s one of the studies I researched within this work, how nowadays in our social construct everything goes by really fast, we are forgetting how to connect to our own humanity and to connect to other people, when was the last time you took the time to see someone in the eye, to hold someone’s hand, to embrace.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I created this film based on personal experience, but what i love the most is when people relate to my story or see a different story within the work, i like to make people experience new things, get out of their everyday habits; create surreal worlds for people to forget about how dark the world that we live in is at this time.
The themes that are included in this film are love, life & death, rebirthing, loneliness, risk, patience.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This film took me around 8 months to finalize, i come from a dance, movement research background so everyday at the shoot new physical and intellectual ideas arose. Even nowadays when i rewatch it at the festival or on my computer i keep learning new things.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I am completely shocked by the amount of support and good feedback the film has gotten, it's really scary to put out there something that's so meaningful to you. A lot of ideas about what it means to be alive, how to rebirth from pain.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has, overall, helped my point of view, as I said before i keep learning that everyday is a new day, everyday is a new experience. And i can't wait to hear more of what people see in the film or feel about it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I want to connect to more human beings, and more collaborators, I want people to feel more things, i want people to take more risk. One of my achievements with this film and generally with all the work i do is to help heal the world through art. If one person reads this article and sees the film I am happy.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
For now I have had such an amazing team, cinematographer, music composer, colorist, but the film had a really minimal budget as it was self produced. It would be great to have distributors and people that believe in the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I mean I guess we all want for everyone to see our work for it to have a bigger impact in the world, I would love for this film to keep screening and for this message to keep being shared i believe it is really important and it can touch a lot of people or raise questions about people's perceptions.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Are we always looking for someone to hold us? Since we were born being held inside of another human being?
Would you like to add anything else?
I really believe creating art can change your own life and can change other's lives. I want to encourage anyone that's out there and has an idea, go try it out! You never know what can happen until you try
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently working on a new live work that i want to keep developing into a new short film , the title of the work is EXIT and its a co creation with Sebastiana Abarbanell.
‘EXIT’ deals with the fortune of opportunity that allows one to find acceptance in this world full of separation and inequality. These factors can lead people to existential frustrations, where suicide may seem to be the only way out. 'EXIT' is meant to encourage those to find alternative outlets. The piece draws from the experience of two individuals from different cultural backgrounds who have fought to be accepted for their identity and independence as members of the LGBTQ community.
Interview: June 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+, 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
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Are you holding me, or am I holding myself?
Are you holding me, or am I holding myself? is a self study examining the relationship between our minds and our bodies, our thoughts and our actions, and the sometimes insurmountable gaps between what we think we want to feel and what we actually experience.
Length: 11:47
Director: César Brodermann
Producer: César Brodermann
Writer: César Brodermann
About the writer, director and producer:
César Brodermann, from Mexico City, is a multifaceted artist residing in New York City.
His work combines elements of dance, photography, and film and has been presented at international festivals and venues.
During the 2016/17 season, César performed with Gallim Dance/Andrea Miller at venues such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Indiana University, and the South Dade Cultural Arts Center in Miami. He attended multiple Gaga Intensives in Tel Aviv and New York, and in 2016 he participated in Springboard Danse Montreal under the artistic direction of Alexandra Wells.
César has taught at institutions across the US, Mexico and Costa Rica and is currently focusing on his personal and freelance work. His short film ‘Are you holding me, or am I holding myself?’ will had its international premiere at Art Film Festival Cannes in May 2018 and won 2nd place after having been screened at multiple festivals in the US. Since January 2018 César has been working with NYC based dance artist Sebastian Abarbanell on a co-created duet work.
Key cast:
Cinematographer
Angelo Vasta
Music Composer
Jordan Chiolis
Editor
Colorist
César Brodermann
Winnie Cheung
Assistant Director
Sebastian Abarbanell
Performer
César Brodermann
Performer
Kyreed Jordan
Performer
Connor Speetjens
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): producers, film festival directors, journalists, distributors.
Social media handles: @cesarbrodermann
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cesarbrodermannartist/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesarbrodermann/
Other: vimeo: https://vimeo.com/cesarbrodermann
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Hidden Door Film Festival 5/30/2018 State Cinema, Leith Edinburgh
http://hiddendoorblog.org/contents/hidden-door-film-in-competition/
Oak Cliff Film Festival 6/16/2018 Dallas Texas
https://www.prekindle.com/festivalfeature/id/24898849364065302