Requiescat
In this Western set on the rural coast of California in the 1920s, a teenager struggles to come of age in a racialized society.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer SJ Main Muñoz
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I'm drawn to period drama and particularly the Western genre, but as with all of my films, I aim to serve a bigger purpose than simply entertainment. It was important to me to draw attention to the challenges that Latino children have in their quest to come-of-age in a racially polarized society. It's frightening to realize how things haven't changed much at all since the 1920s in terms of these cultural challenges.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film is a Latino Western of which there are so few, so if you love the expansiveness and epic nature of such films, I am confident that it delivers in that department. Overall, I feel confident that the picture does well to combine a cinematic wow factor with an urgent social warning. I'm also proud that we were able to include 50% female crew who were involved in getting the film to the screen, so that's worth supporting.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film 'Requiescat' presents the convergence of the coming-of-age and racism themes. The result in terms of plot is complicated just as it was in the 1920s. Clearly our nation – and in a large part, our world – has failed to learn the lessons of history. Things must change now...or, well, things won't change.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The original film had a lot more 1920s dialect, which through my test screenings I discovered diminished the audience's experience of the film, so that was cut way down. Other than that, the structure and story have remained the same as what I intended when I went to set.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far the film has won The Call to Action Award 1st Prize for its World Premiere at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback to the film has been positive and it is always satisfying to learn that viewers are thinking deeply on a subject because of your film, even if the result of that thinking is controversial or conflicts with others. I think the conversation, no matter how controversial, must be had long before before we can find solutions, and hopefully - ultimately - peace.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am thankful to We Are Moving Stories for bringing awareness to this short film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
My sincerest hope is that I may continue to bring this film to wider audiences through the film festival circuit. I look forward to sharing it in as many cities, counties and countries possible.
Would you like to add anything else?
Initiatives like We Are Moving Stories that bring attention to important social films and the works of women are crucial to independent filmmakers. We are grateful for your work. Thank you.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I have a few other films in the pipeline and look forward to sharing them We Are Moving Stories in the near future. I'm always interested in collaborating as a director on projects that have a lifeline. As an independent filmmaker, you never know how a project might appear on your plate.
Interview: August 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
Requiescat
In this Western set on the rural coast of California in the 1920s, a teenager struggles to come of age in a racialized society.
Length: 18:30
Director: SJ Main Muñoz
Producer: Derek Classen and SJ Main Muñoz
Writer: SJ Main Muñoz
About the writer, director and producer:
SJ MAIN-MUÑOZ’s path to directing began when she was the first female intern at DreamWorks’ Feature Development division. She graduated with honors in directing from UCLA and Columbia University. At UCLA, she received the James Bridges Award for Excellence in Acting. She’s worked in production in roles including Director of Development and Post Supervisor. Her work is supported by AWD’s Industry Support program, IFP’s Narrative Film Week, FIND’s Project:Involve, NALIP’s Writer and Producer labs and Media Markets, and Women In Film. Her short films, all in the dramatic genre, have screened worldwide including at Sao Paulo, Rhode Island and Palm Springs, and have won numerous awards, including Best Film. SJ is a resident of both the USA and Costa Rica.
Key cast: Adrian Favela, Laura Cerón, William McNamara, Mia Xitlali, Alonso Alvarez, Monica Guzman
Facebook: sjmain
Twitter: @summerjoymain
Instagram: @summerjoymain
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
The film had its World Premiere at Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) in the 'You Are Not Alone' block on 8/9/18. Future screenings will be announced at Tica Productions.