Mese: Novembre 2023

-Who is Ignacio Marín Aedo?

I want to believe that I’m a 27-year-old Chilean filmmaker with a lot of potential, but the truth is that
I consider myself a little kid playing movies with his friends. I’m the father of a beautiful 6-year-old
girl named Isabella. I hate waiting in lines for too long, and I can’t live without eating fruit.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I’ve always been passionate about the world of communications. In cinema, I found a way to connect
with others and communicate my vision of the world without saying a single word.
I like to think that anyone in the world can be an inspiration.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I think of cinema as one of the most powerful tools in all of human history, and I like to
believe that I feel the weight of that responsibility. Undoubtedly, cinema can be a driver of
social change, and it already is. Every story we choose to tell brings visibility to a group of
individuals with realities we were previously unaware of. I believe that’s where the art of
this discipline resides

-What would you change in the world?

The influence of social media in our daily lives. I don’t have Instagram, and I hope to soon be
able to quit Facebook. Don’t even get me started on TikTok. I have a pessimistic view of this
aspect of our lives, as I don’t like how it affects relationships and human communication. I
believe that a part of our essence is online all the time, and we spend the other part offline,
on the way somewhere or waiting for another moment. Besides, my neck hurts a lot when I
use the phone. Why do we have to look down?

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

It’s a tough question; I struggle to project my life into the future, let alone the film industry.
However, I believe that the part of technology I like the least will have the most influence on
the industry. I dare to say that we will transition from the film industry to the content
industry. It will be content tailored to each individual’s preferences, probably generated
instantly by some kind of super processor. I’ve never been good at science fiction.

-Who is Andreia Solomon Burke?

This is a difficult question only because I am still learning who I am. When I have private talks with myself, I never feel like I have accomplished anything, but when I hear what other people think of me, I’m like … wow, I don’t give myself enough credit. I’m so complex yet simple at the same time. Complex in the sense that I’m never fully satisfied with where I’m at because I know that there is so much more to life and I’m constantly trying to get there, but simple in a way that sitting by the sea in my favourite café with a coffee and my thoughts is so satisfying.

However, I must say, that after my husband was deported to the UK, his birth country, I realised how much inner strength I had. My head swirled every day from different dilemmas, my husband was in a country that he hasn’t lived in for over thirty-years; our daughters were traumatised, but I had to keep moving as if nothing happened.

Eventually, we joined my husband in the UK, and this afforded me the opportunity to delve into my creative side. Since living in the UK, I have written two novels, five scripts and directed two award-winning short films under my family’s production company, A Fave Five Films Ltd.

But the true essence of who Andreia Solomon Burke is… I love my family and extended family tremendously, and although it may sound cliché, everything I do is for them.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

After writing my first novel, Relay-tionships, the thirst was on for me to become a filmmaker. I have such a vivid imagination that every page I wrote I saw the scenery, the characters, and at times even fell in and out of love with the characters. From then I was on a mission to get the film made. I wrote the screenplay and have never given up on that dream.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Being completely honest… if the major studios keep churning out films with the repetitive car chase, shootout in the middle of the street, and massive explosion type films, I’m afraid the answer is no. There was a time when going to the cinema was a huge deal, the buildup of the films leading up to its release day was incredible. You saved your money because you dare not be the person who didn’t see the film.

We must return to the art of true storytelling, then, we might be hopeful that films can influence society in a positive way.

-What would you change in the world?

I’d like to take ‘I Don’t Have a Clue, for 200, Alex. But no, seriously… racism, erroneous perceptions of women of colour, paygrades for teachers, healthcare workers and finally, the retirement age for senior citizens.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I pray that it’s still around. In the era of Netflix & Chill and the multitude of steaming services it’s scary to think where cinema will be in 25 years from now, let alone 100. This isn’t to say that most steaming services don’t have anything to offer, but it’s changed the industry tremendously.

Live action films have become preposterously expensive to make, even with animation films grossing vastly more than live action films. We have moved away from the beauty of films and how they used to make us feel and it would be amazing to go back to those times.

-Who is Swen Werner?

I find myself a bit of a paradox: a finance professional with a rich tapestry of interests ranging from the arts and electronic music to philosophy. Some might say it’s a bit eccentric, but I believe it just makes me human. “My Digital Truth” started as my personal quest for redemption during a challenging time, but it’s evolved into something much grander. I’m deeply fascinated by the potential of blockchain technology to reshape our interactions and market structures, making them more attractive to people who decide to stay away and giving everyone a platform to be heard. Art and storytelling are the creative forces that will guide us there.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

The desire to explore and express the multifaceted human experience and our interconnectedness led me to filmmaking, a canvas where narrative, music, and visuals harmoniously unite. This creative journey culminated in my short film “My Digital Truth,” where I also penned a song that encapsulates the film’s essence and my artistic vision. This medium offers a unique opportunity to delve deep into the human psyche, shedding light on the intricate tapestry that makes us who we are as uncomfortable as it may be sometimes. “My Digital Truth” is my creative outlet, allowing me to weave all my various interests into a narrative that explores human experience, technology, and our collective existence.

-Do you think the cinema can bring about change in society?

Absolutely. Films have the unique ability to resonate with people on a profound emotional level, challenging their views and opening their eyes to new perspectives. By highlighting different cultures, experiences, and social issues, cinema can be a catalyst for empathy, understanding, and awareness, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive society. That’s my hope, at least.

-What would you change in the world?

The movie “Bedazzled” serves as a cautionary and funny tale for me – the protagonist is granted seven wishes, but each one goes awry. With that in mind, if I could make a change, it would be to foster a world that fully embraces our diversity in every form. I believe in the mantra “you do you, but let me be me” but we all carry biases. I hope we continue to develop a collective spirit of forgiveness and compassion, although sometimes I am not too sure. Less theatre, more realness, I think that would be a good change.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

From the little I know, it looks like that the film industry will undergo a significant transformation, with AI and other technologies making filmmaking more accessible and opening up new avenues for storytelling. However, as we integrate AI, we must carefully navigate the creative and ethical implications that come with it, ensuring that lose more than we gain in the process. Just as social media has altered the information landscape, our reliance on technology can amplify issues around content control and censorship. While AI presents a realm of narrative possibilities, it’s crucial that we remain vigilant in addressing the ethical considerations that invariably accompany such advancements.

-Who is Jude Rawlins?

British/Irish filmmaker, musician, writer, artist, living in America. Winner of the 2022 Jean-Luc Godard Award. Husband of the phenomenal actress Rebecca Haroldson. Cat whisperer. Feminist. Book junkie. Decent chef. Some days I also think I am the only good driver in the Midwest.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I think the first time I learned about the concept of a film director was when Alfred Hitchcock died. I was eight years old. Sometime later I saw my first Hitchcock film with my dad, which was Strangers on a Train. My dad pointed out Hitchcock’s cameo, when he climbs on to a train carrying a cello case. It was the first time I ever watched a film in the knowledge that somebody had actually made it. It fascinated me completely. My mother had a big coffee table book about actors and movie stars and I must have read it cover to cover a hundred times. Around the same time my dad bought me my first proper camera, a 1960s Praktica 35mm single lens reflex, made in East Germany. It had a 50 mm Zeiss lens and came with an old 1940s Weston Master light meter. I learned everything I know about photography and composition on that camera. I had an active imagination and a veracious appetite for literature and films and music, so it was probably only a matter of time. But I never had any ambition to be a filmmaker as such. I just have a lot of ideas and I have to get them out or they drive me mad. I also have a phenomenally good memory, I believe I can even remember being born. So there’s always a story to tell, there is always some kind of poetry, or a feeling that needs expressing, and filmmaking is the most exciting way I know of to explore these things.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Anything that can capture the imagination has the power to inspire change. But I agree with Susan Sontag and Clement Greenburg, the only thing we should ask of art is that it be good.

-What would you change in the world?

Aside from all the obvious things like getting rid of death and war and inequality and prejudice and injustice, I would like to see a world in which artists are properly appreciated, especially in the UK and America. When you look at the way Britain treated Michael Powell and Ken Russell, the greatest British filmmakers of their generation, it’s just unacceptable. They are happy to give out awards in their names but they wouldn’t fund their films. But you go to Italy and Fellini is revered, almost like a saint, and rightly so. The same with Bergman in Sweden. But in any event, I’d settle for a world in which men had the intelligence and the balls to wake up and realize that the patriarchy isn’t doing them any favors. Or maybe I’d just get rid of CGI. There’s no alchemy in computer effects, even a six year old knows it was just made on a computer…

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

It’s an interesting question. I don’t see any future for cinema unless filmmakers start taking real chances again and audiences find the guts to think outside the box. Martin Scorsese has been talking a lot about this recently, and I’m inclined to agree with him although I think he should stop looking to Hollywood for the answers, because you’re never going to get them from there. The fact is that there are great films being made independently all the time, but streaming has unplugged us from the true beating heart of Cinema, which is the collective experience of seeing a movie in a theater. I never used to think this, I grew up in a town with no movie theater so my relationship with films largely grew from television. But the first time I saw one of my own films on the big screen I suddenly understood. Personally I think the artists matter because they make the films, and the audience matters because they watch the films, and the theaters matter because it’s where those two worlds meet. But the rest is just gatekeeping and middle men, and life’s too short for that. Every serious filmmaker will have to become their own industry, there’s no other way to survive, create beauty and tell the truth.

-Who is Eric Kelso?

I used to be a “coastal Californian” growing up in Santa Cruz, Carmel, and Santa Barbara, where I was a “film major” at UCSB. Upon graduating I set out to be a “traveler” venturing around the globe and eventually fell in love with Japan and settled here. Since 1990, I’ve been working in Tokyo as a “voice actor and writer” in TV, radio and video games. So, I’ve lived most of my life in Japan, but that doesn’t really make me “Japanese” either. I’d like to think that I’m “open-minded, creative, and kind” – on a good day. And I’ve realized that I have no need for a country, religion, political party or allegiance to any group at all.

-What inspired you to become a screenwriter?

My greatest love in life has always been film, alone in the dark, eating popcorn, living inside the dreams that others are brave enough to write down. It’s the greatest of all mediums because it combines all mediums. Photography, acting, music, design of all kinds, and at the heart of it is literature – the screenplay. Directors can’t tell the tale without a good tale to tell. Actors can’t bring characters to life if they fall unnatural and dead on the page. And it’s something I can do alone, like eating popcorn in the dark.

-Do you think cinema can bring a change to society?

Definitely. More than any medium can. It’s the only medium that can visually move through space and time. It’s the closest representation we have to how humans experience life. It shows us at our best and our worst. It can inspire and disgust, make us laugh and cry, and bring back special moments in our lives when we watch those golden gems once again. Movies move us and move with us. The potential to change, speak to, influence, teach, and enlighten us are limitless. And gives us hope. Because there’s always a new movie coming out soon that we’re living to see.

-What would you change in the world?

Make everything fair. But life’s not fair, so that’s out. Equality for all. I think good people are trying but bad people don’t want that, so that’s going to take some time. Education and healthcare for all. The two biggies. That just seems like a decent way to take care of the ones you say you love. And let’s not kill our mother, Mother Nature. Killing her is not only disrespectful, but also suicide – arrogant, selfish stupidity. Hopefully, clean technology can save us before dirty technology kills us. It’s a race that I hope we can win someday.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

Beyond my imagination. Hopefully, humans will still be involved at every level of creation. AI will be used responsibly as a tool, not a force. New films, new original ideas will run free, not just warmed over versions of things that were once popular splattered across the screen. And we must remember that film is more than just an industry. It takes hundreds of people to make a film, all dedicated to the creative art of storytelling. Storytelling! The most ancient of all mediums. Movies explain who we are, where we came from, what we dream, why we love, why we hate and kill. It’s a record of our species. Definitely, not just an industry. We must always remember that, and protect that.