Director Rodrigo García Barcha (64 years old, Bogota) will reprise the role on Netflix. Since its premiere two years ago, family On that platform, the director returns to the streaming service. stupiditya film that delves into human emotions when pushed to their limits. Rodrigo García explores mental health through six stories of women tormented by inner demons, but also under the strain of confinement, self-censorship, and social and familial pressures. The director also collaborates with actress Cassandra Cingelotti, who stars in the first of six stories that unexpectedly intertwine on a rainy day in Mexico City. In this interview, Garcia talks about the new film, which will be released in theaters on November 10th.
listen. What made you decide to tell this story about mental health in a six-episode format?
answer. The two themes came together. My experience with a friend who went through a manic episode of bipolar disorder, and the realization that despite his illness, he was full of speed, intelligence, creativity, charisma, and a sense of humor. I was interested in that, but then I was also interested in people who are intelligent, balanced, and highly professionally competent, but who can go insane and have fits of insanity that are not literally medical, like Renata[played by Changelotti]but have uncontrollable outbursts.
Q. How did you prepare to recreate this type of story?
R. I have a friend who has gone through this, so I have too. I have seen them vividly and directly. Then I did my usual research. I watched interviews and documentaries, read books, read scripts, consulted a psychiatrist who saw the cut. Then, of course, Cassandra’s acting is very outstanding in my opinion, realizing the manic state of bipolar disorder, which is not only funny, but even capable of funny behavior, but doing it without it seeming like we’re trivializing the disease.
Q. Do you think the topic of mental health is still taboo in the film industry?
R. I think there are few taboos. We have gone from a time when it was rarely talked about or talked about with shame. Both about your own mental health and illnesses that may affect your family. There is also fear that children will become infected. We have moved from denying it to managing it more openly. Because these are diseases and there is no shame in them.
Q. Will this film serve as a wake-up call for further discussion on this subject?
R. I don’t really know. As a director, in a perhaps privileged and superficial way, all I’m interested in is whether this movie is not just funny, but whether people can feel that this movie reflects life, that they can empathize with what they’re seeing, that this movie feels human. Now, if, by chance, it helps you understand that people with illnesses like Renata are people just like you, that’s also very welcome.
Q. Why did you choose to focus the story on the lives of these six women?
R. What I always like is not just short stories that start with a problem and develop very quickly in 20-25 minutes to create a situation, a dramatic outcome, an emotional outcome. I really like the short form, and I also like ensemble films where several lives are woven together. When it works well, there is a feeling of being very rich and full of life.
Q. Was it difficult to ensure aesthetic and emotional consistency when weaving these stories together?
R. When you make a film that has several stories, there’s always a risk that there’s always going to be a story that’s preferred over the others, that there’s always going to be a better story, that there’s always going to be an ugly duckling. Also, the fact that the short stories come together to form the film means that it all feels like part of a single unit, rather than feeling like you’re watching an overnight short film festival.
Q. Mexico City is another main character in this story. Why did you decide to develop this film in a big city?
R. I’ve been working outside of Mexico for years, and in my last film, familyrepresented a return to Mexico and felt very familiar and very connected not only to the work but to the culture of the place, actors and technicians. then i craved it family, I came to Guadalupe Valley to shoot a movie in Mexico City. Mexico City is ultimately the city where I grew up. I loved connecting with this city, fascinating and exhausting, interesting and chaotic.
Q. He presented this film at the Morelia Film Festival. How was the reception?
R. I think it’s very good. One of the benefits of being a director is that no one comes up to you and says, “Your movie sucks.” That saved me. I think from what I’ve seen online and what people have sent me, it’s been very positive overall.
Q. The film will premiere on Netflix. What does it mean to you to be released on a streaming service?
R. It will have limited distribution in Mexican theaters, which is a very good thing. Of course, as directors we all wish our films would be seen in more theaters, but on the other hand, Netflix’s reach is incredible, reaching 190 countries. Even a modest success will be seen by millions of people. In fact, I would be grateful if a lot of people could see it. And on the other hand, Netflix produced the movie. I mean, if they hadn’t made it, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do this movie. This is because it is difficult to raise funds for this type of group film. On the other hand, even though the number of theaters showing the movie was smaller than I expected, I might not have been able to film it if I hadn’t done so.
Q. Talk about funding issues. There has been much controversy over the job cuts recorded by the cultural sector since the past six years. Is it more complicated to make films in Mexico because of this?
R. It’s hard to make a movie anywhere. It’s true that culture has been cut back due to budgetary issues, but money is always very difficult to find, and even when money is found, it’s very difficult to distribute. In other words, cinema is an eternal global dream. There are periods of low production in Mexico and periods of high production, but film production is highly adventurous, financially expensive and risky. I don’t think that’s new. I mean, I’ve been talking about the crisis in cinema since the beginning.
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