DOC NYC / Cucalorus 2019 – Let's go to Antarctica!
Carlos is a human being who at this very moment is on a holiday in Antarctica. The penguins, who do not have cameras, will forget all about Carlos.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Gonzaga Manso
Watch Let's go to Antarctica! here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I've always had a big interest in nature, I actually majored in Environmental Sciences, and when I had an opportunity to travel to Antarctica, I decided to write and shoot a short film about how humans are impacting the environment.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We've all heard stories about climate change, usually in catastrophic terms, so I wanted to talk about this huge issue with a language and a tone that felt new. The result is a 5 minute documentary about climate change, shot in Antarctica with a touch of comedy.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
As for personal themes, as I already said I am quite concerned about nature and so I felt compelled to speak about this issue. Also, on a personal level, I am a firm believer in comedy as a powerful way to translate messages. The universal themes in the film are pretty clear: we are messing with our planet and paying the consequences already.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I was offered to join a little expedition to Antarctica so I wrote the script in a week and then went and shot it. Back in Spain, my producer, Paco Ponce de León, and myself sat down to edit the film and finish it. We also cast the narrators (one for the Spanish version, one for the English one), and because they are comedy actors they brought new ideas and lines to the table. As it usually happens, the film kept being re-written during post-production until it was completed.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film is working well on the festival circuit, receiving many selections and awards. People like the way in which climate change is explained and told in a didactic yet entertaining way.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Some feedback has. For example, someone asked us if we had calculated the total carbon print of our main protagonist's voyage, which we hadn't. We later found out that this carbon print almost doubled the average carbon print for a Spanish person in one year.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
As a filmmaker, my goal is always to get as many people to see my films. In this case, this goal is even more important, as I believe the film talks about an issue which everyone should know about if we want to fix this mess someday.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anyone who finds the film interesting and wants to screen it elsewhere or help to spread the message is more than welcome to contact us. We're also thinking of making a documentary series based on this film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We are hoping the message sticks and people realize how ridiculous some of the things we do are, environmentally speaking. Also, I hope they laugh and have a good time watching it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What is the resulting carbon print of screening the film, promoting it, traveling to festivals with it etc...?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are right now working on our first feature film project, which is fiction and will hopefully be shot during 2020.
Interview: October 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
Let's go to Antarctica!
Carlos is a human being who at this very moment is on a holiday in Antarctica. The penguins, who do not have cameras, will forget all about Carlos.
Length: 5:00
Director: Gonzaga Manso
Producer: Paco Ponce de León
Writer: Gonzaga Manso
About the writer, director and producer:
GONZAGA MANSON - I’m a director and photographer and I’m mainly focused on advertising and artistic work. My work speaks about what I feel, what I dream, what surrounds me. About that argument, I had with a taxi driver, about the girl I met last summer, about getting lost and finding myself, about my dog and his little fixations. Telling stories and crafting characters is a passion, but also a necessity. I’ve had the pleasure to work for clients like Pepsi, Movistar, McDonald’s, Sony and Smart, and with agencies like DDB, McCann-Erickson, Contrapunto BBDO and TBWA. Some of these works have been awarded at important international festivals, others haven’t. As a director of photography, I have worked alongside prestigious Spanish directors as Isabel Coixet, Javier Fesser, Borja Cobeaga and Julio Medem. I also give courses and lectures on light and photography. I’ve given conferences in Lima, Buenos Aires, Venecia, Madrid, Panamá, Bogotá, Santiago de Chile, Morocco…
PACO PONCE DE LEON is Gonzaga's partner and producer since 2015. He has been working in the Spanish film industry for the past twenty years, has participated in more than 15 feature films and countless commercials, short films, music videos etc... He has a background in writing, directing, editing and camera, which makes him the ultimate hands-on producer and a perfect match for Gonzaga.
Key cast: Carlos Caraglia (himself), Richard Collins-Moore (narrator)
Looking for: film festival directors, buyers, sales agents
Facebook: Gonzaga Manso Studio
Twitter: @gonzagamanso
Instagram: @gonzagamanso
Hashtags used: #climatechange #doc #comedy #gopenguins
Website: gonzagamanso.com/en
Made in association with: Peliculas Pendelton
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? BergBuchBrig Festival/Switzerland - November, Cucalorus Film Festival/USA - November, Braunschweig International Film Festival/Germany - November, DOC NYC/USA - November 9th, Saint Cloud Film Festival/USA - November, Exground Filmfest/Germany - November, Magma International Short Film Festival/Italy - November