In the midst of her family’s rejection, Elena wants to experience her own sexuality. A poetic film that explores love and freedom in the heart of a young woman.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Ayerim Villanueva

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I am Dominican and I won a scholarship to study film. I wrote Elena as my undergraduate thesis for my degree in film at the NECTV in Costa Rica. I decided to tell this story because it is very close to my reality. Many people have to hide or be inhibited about their sexuality. It is a topic in which we can observe a lot of prejudices and rejections, even today, in our countries. I think it's a story that traces a path, a point of view on this topic. Beyond sexuality, there is the freedom for everyone, as a human being, we all have the right to choose, a way, a way of life, a way of facing reality.

The relationship between Elena and her grandmother, which is characterized by a mutual discordance, is something that we can see in our own mother-daughter relationships, or we can see it from the outside, stories of friends, acquaintances. There are also universal configures. For example, the traditions with which the grandmother grew up in, but also the subworlds and the current culture in which Elena lives in when she is away from home. There is a confrontation between two visions, and two ways of being very different, all constructed by their respective contexts and of which many times people are not aware of and find it difficult to accept. I think this is a way for these people to see it from the outside, the cinema has the power to transform.

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

Because just as there are medicines that heal you, there are movies that save you, make you meditate and change your vision, your life, your world. Because we have to see these kind of stories and have other points of view about love and sexuality, that after all, these are ideas and possible lives that we can not see, because of our taboos, our cultures, our traditions.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

When I was a girl, I had my first sexual encounter with another girl. I grew up as a heterosexual but I always had an attraction for girls. When I turned 17 I left my home, I had to choose between oppression, both of family and culture, or my freedom; of course, I chose to be free. I think it's a moment we've all been through, having to choose between freedom and something that oppresses us or makes our dreams unattainable, and this is universal.

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

The script process was very organic. I wanted to talk about that topic, which I have already dealt with in other short films. In principle, the script had eight characters around Elena and then I was reducing until I found the essence and the indispensable characters to tell the story. The film is recorded and edited according to the script and where there were changes was in the time that a shot on the screen lasted. I needed a certain air in some scenes where I needed to reflect on the action that has occurred, and this I worked with the editor, pointing out which sequences needed more time. The same with music, when it comes and goes, it always has to do with Elena's feeling and emotional state.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I have some critical articles that describe some feelings:

Germany: Strasburgfilm; Brasil: Festlatinosp; Costa Rica: Kinegrafo

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

Generate awareness in different cultures on this topic.

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

Film festival directors, journalists, producers

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

I would like this film to raise awareness about homosexuality and the prejudices that still exist around the issue, especially in Latin American culture.

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

What kind of taboos we're living in our countries, especially in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, about sexuality.

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

Calor (Dominican Republic), a feature film in development, about Rim's childhood memories and her three sisters, on the north coast in the 1990s, where traditions and rituals accentuate the magical realism of the island and the hopes and dreams of the girls seem far away.

A boy, Two boys (Costa Rica), a feature film in development, about a gay humanized vampire in love in Costa Rica.

Interview: April 2019

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

Elena

In the midst of her family’s rejection, Elena wants to experience her own sexuality. A poetic film that explores love and freedom in the heart of a young woman.

Length: 22:48

Director: Ayerim Villanueva

Producer: Ayerim Villanueva

Writer: Ayerim Villanueva

About the writer, director and producer:

AYERIM VILLANUEVA (Dominican Republic, 1987) is a poet and she studied Cinema at the Veritas University of Costa Rica. Her final work of thesis is her short film, Elena, filmed in Costa Rica and receiving an honorable mention

Key cast: Mar Jiménez (Elena), Camila Campos (Julia), María Bonilla (Grandmother), Jennifer Sánchez (Boss)

Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, producers

Facebook: Elena

Hashtags used: #elenalatesis, #elenashortfilm, #elena

Website: ochoymedioav.wixsite.com/elena

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Ocho & Medio Films, Universidad Veritas, Pulsar Studios, Ricardo Boya Artigas, Estudio Shout, Central Postproduction

Funders: Indiegogo

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? March 28 to April 07, 2019 at 35th Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival; May 9 to 16 May, 9th Philosophical Film Festival in Skopje, Macedonia; June 13-17, 2019, at Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin in Cinema Moviemento