What interested you in the relationship to extreme heat in Big Bang?
Big Bang is the second short film in a trilogy of “space” films (the first one being Sideral). In Big Bang, I maintain my focus on the ordinary lives of the marginalized. But like in Sideral, I find the power and strength in the character that will turn everything upside down. Chico is, symbolically, the universe’s particle that is just waiting for the spark to explode and spread.

How did your meeting with the actor Giovanni Venturini go?
Giovanni is a well-known Brazilian actor who has participated in various projects (movies, theatre, TV, etc). We met for the first time – that’s what he told me – at a party, while dancing (what a coincidence), during a concert of one of our friends. So, when I came up with the story for the first time, an image of him came to my mind too. I contacted him and presented the project to him. He accepted immediately, I was lucky!

How did you develop the process of framing?
As in all the other films that I have directed, the form never precedes the narrative. I find the starting point, the concept and, to complete it, the form. With Big Bang, it was the same, and the framing – the film’s imagery – came to me almost naturally, in this search to produce a singular point of view and to better highlight it in the film. For the reverse segregation, it is only a provocation, and at the same time, it is an invitation for us to notice, to look at the world in a different way.

Could there be a sequel to Big Bang?
At the moment I don’t think so. I am currently working on the third short of the trilogy, and I have developed my second feature film. In any case, it will always be there, and at any moment, I can think about it and pick it up again.

What’s your favorite short?
I don’t have one, in fact. As I said, I am looking for the concept’s own reference within itself.

What does the Festival mean to you?
Clermont-Ferrand is globally recognized as the Mecca of short films. So, it’s fantastic to have a film in its selection. For me, particularly, who is experiencing this for the fourth time, it’s absolutely astounding.

Big Bang is being shown as part of the National Competition F6.  

Have you ever dreamt of flying or going into space?
I’ve personally never wanted to go to space. Perhaps I’m a bit curious. What attracts me to space is its immensity and infiniteness. In Sidéral, space appears as the real possibility of a spatio-temporal suspension. But of course, it also affects our imagination.

Was the theme of boredom present from the beginning or did you develop it as you went along?
Boredom is a fundamental part of this film. But not only that. The desire for transformation, for change, is what makes Marcela get in that rocket. There is also something symbolic and metaphorical in this act. Finding the moment to inscribe our desire in the desire of the event.

Why did you choose black and white?
Black and white serves a certain purpose in the film. The absence of color is directly related to Marcela’s life, to the barrenness of her life. There is also the question of contrast, of opposites, of the poles present in the film. But, above all, I didn’t want to determine a specific time period for the film. The Brazil that appears in the film is timeless.

Have you planned a sequel, or can you imagine a sequel to Sideral?
No. I don’t think that all short films need to be considered as future feature-length films. There are films that provide closure in and of themselves. Sideral is one of these films. I have other feature-length projects I am working on and that I hope to start shooting soon.

Is there a particular short film that has made a strong impression on you?  
There are lots of short films that have left an impression on me. I really like the work of Brazilian João Paulo Miranda Maria, the first films of Juliana Rojas, the films by Portuguese director João Nicolau, among others…

What’s your definition of a good film?
Consistency and courage.

Sideral is being shown as part of National Competition F2.