Can you tell us more about the medical condition? Did you come across something similar in real life?
It is a fictive medical condition but it’s rooted in scientific research. “Slow light” is a term used in physics to describe a wave of light that was slowed down way below its fundamental physical constant. Danish physicist Lene Hau successfully slowed down the beam of light to 17m/sec. We stretched the delay immensely for greater symbolic and narrative-building effect. Seven years period is significant for many reasons. Most prominently, it is based on the theory of Rubin Steiner that human development is based upon seven years cycles throughout life, even into adulthood. It is also a nod to a popular belief that human cells are being replaced at a certain frequency and technically after about seven years of cellular replication, we’re an entirely new collection of cells. The nature of the protagonist’s apparent illness is inspired by Oliver Sacks’ writings describing many rare disorders of perception among his patients. Obviously none of them had dense eyes but it is fascinating to us how different the world can seem depending on individual perception. Even though we chose to make the eyes a pivotal element of the narrative, literal visual impairment is definitely not a topic of our film. The condition the protagonist suffers from is in fact all about the inability of understanding reality.

Who inspired you the character of the boy?
He is a mix of various inspirations. From the beginning, we wanted to make it clear that he lives behind the Iron Curtain to include the pivotal moment of political transformation triggering extreme instances of inability to cope with rapidly changing reality and turning to nostalgia. Many lives were simply broken. Such a peculiar case is Otakar Švec – Czechoslovak sculptor best known for the world’s largest monument of Stalin ever made. The statue stood in Prague for only seven years before it was brought down with dynamite after the political climate changed. Švec’s tragic biography was an important inspiration for creating the Slow Light protagonist. To make the protagonist believable as an inhabitant of the former Eastern Bloc we chose to add a distinctive accent. The voice of the man was slightly inspired by Roman Polański’s manner of speaking. A man with a completely different biography, but serving yet another example of mistakes that determine entire life and haunt long after they were made. Holding on to the thought that one’s existence shaped by ill-advised decisions can’t have a happy end, we wanted our protagonist to die tragically but not heroically. We were trying to come up with an absurd death (e.g. leafing through Darwin Awards list) and when we read about Tennessee Williams choking on a cap of his medicine, we decided this suits the story perfectly as our protagonist uses eye drops throughout his life.

Tell us more about your animation technique. Why did you choose this particular technique to tell this story?
We knew from the beginning that we would have to design the frames in a way that the time shift and two narrative lines were clearly perceivable, hence we would use two animation techniques. To show the past events we unsurprisingly chose 2D technique as both its flatness and traditional form refer to the past. Showing the present time we wanted to refer to its tangibility and hint that the reality is close at hand. We found inspiration in relief models exhibited in galleries and museums as aids for blind and visually impaired visitors. We wanted to create the frames physically to emphasize the importance of the sense of touch – crucial for experiencing here and now but also extremely limiting and subjective, which serves the point of our narration.

What are your background(s) as filmmakers?
We are both graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts where we studied classic techniques of printmaking. We both chose animation as a supplement to our studies. We started from making music videos and for many years we had reasonable success in this field, gaining recognition at D&AD and UKMVA festivals, winning Best Music Video Award at Animafest Zagreb and the last Annecy Crystal ever granted in this category. As we like to try different things, we do not shy away from making short films. Slow Light seems to be our most elaborate take on this to date.

What have been your inspirations?
We rely heavily on philosophy often without having interest in final conclusions, because alleged theories are oftentimes much more inspiring than the proven logical explanations. At least for the sake of filmmaking. We read scientific articles. Especially those from the field of physics which extend our seeing of the universe beyond our five senses. We also appreciate descriptions of rare anomalies as these exceptions in the spirit of existentialism define our being. Above all we believe in the nearly sixty-year-old claim that “medium is the message”. Choosing the right technique is equally important for us as writing the actual script. That’s why we don’t cultivate one recognizable style but rather search for the most adequate means of expression each time. Each problem deserves individual treatment.

What’s your favourite short film?
There are so many! If we could only pick one we would probably point to Tango by Zbigniew Rybczyński as it had a huge impact on us early on.

What does the Festival mean to you? 
We’re extremely happy that Slow Light got selected to the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Festival! Actually it will be our comeback after a whole decade as last time we were here with our early film Noise. It is this exciting moment when after many years of working on the film we can finally show it to the world. And remembering the capacities of Clermont-Ferrand venues we can’t wait to have it screened there. We are also hoping to reunite with old friends and meet new wonderful people, so don’t hesitate to approach us if you spot us standing somewhere in the corner.

Slow Light is being shown as part of the International Competition I13.

La Entrega deals with loneliness and trauma. What is it that draws you to such topics?
The thing that interests me the most is that these are themes hidden inside each of us. These are emotions we usually try to hide, that usually we have thought are signs of weakness. I am very interested in loneliness because it’s one of the biggest issues of our time. Paradoxically, in this era of hyper-connection there are still many people who are disconnected from others. Too many people alone. People who live behind doors that no-one knocks on. I was interested in opening that door and understanding the trauma of this character to show how, sometimes, it’s possible to heal very deep wounds with very small gestures.

Ramón Barea plays the main character, Armando. How did you end up picking him for the role? 
Ramon is one of the best actors in the history of Spanish cinema. He is part of the cultural heritage of our country. He has been in more than 200 movies and he is renowned as a director and theatrical actor. So, since we started to write this story he was in my mind for the role. The story of La Entrega is Armando’s story; it’s a story which revolves completely around one character and that’s why I needed someone like him who was able to convey the character of this man in each little detail. Without a doubt, working with Ramon has been the greatest gift I take from this film.

What was the dynamic like between you, your actors, and film crew?
Yeah, I had been filming a lot of commercials in Madrid for 8 years and I always try to do it with the same crew. I have been lucky to create a group of friends and they have been the ones who have accompanied me in this journey. I need to feel the affection and the warmth of my team, to work with friends and to know that beyond a professional relationship there is an emotional relationship between us. Because I feel that this comes through in the image and this is the thing that makes our field something unique. The actors and I had long conversations by videocall talking about their characters. I’m more interested in building the character together than drawing specifically their dialogues or their movements on set. We talked about them as if we had written all their lives in the last 20 years. Then, when we all knew who Armando and the Rider were, we only had to rehearse some important sequences two days before the shoot on the set itself. 

What do you think of the representation – or lack of – of the elderly on screen?
I think that there is a big contradiction between our aging society and its presence on our screens. Many people told me that our story was not very commercial. We had an old-fashioned character and we didn’t touch any topical issues. In fact, we didn’t receive any public funds. We live in a society where the elderly will be the biggest topic of conversation in the following years and we’ll have to deal with very important issues such as caregiving and loneliness. Highlighting this and doing it without condescension, empowering our elderly and turning them into useful people and useful characters. That would be a great step.

What’s your favourite short? 
Validation (Kurt Kuenne, 2007). 

What does the Festival mean to you?
I have known and followed the Festival since my time at University, 15 years ago, and I always viewed it as a goal. Clermont is most important short film festival in the world so it is a gift, an honor and a responsibility as well to be in their International Competition with the best films from the rest of the world.

La Entrega  [The Hand Over] is being shown as part of the International Competition I13. 

What gave you the idea of exploring this story? Is it based on any kind of real life experience?
My sister and I got inspired to write the story after meeting Bousi, a transgender woman from the Arab region. Her story stood out to us and was extremely touching. Bousi spent her entire life seeking approval and acceptance from her family, friends and wider community. Even though she received legal approval to transition, she was never able to obtain official gender recognition, which increased her vulnerability to systemic discrimination. We wondered what would happen to a transgender person upon their death? Would the discrimination and nonacceptance still prevail? 

The child seems to be quite young. Would the family have faced those complex issues? 
Their daughter is young, but I feel even if she was older, the issue would still be as complex. What the parents are facing has nothing to do with age but with pressure to comply with social, cultural and religious norms.

How did you cast the actors? 
I worked previously with Shafiqa Al Tal, who plays the role of the mother, on a TV series, and I fell in love with her personality on and off screen. Her face has distinguished features and my sister and I, while writing the script, couldn’t see anyone else playing the part. Regarding Kamel El Basha, I saw his performance in The Insult, a Lebanese feature film, and I instantly knew that he would be perfect for the part.

What is your background as a filmmaker? 
I have extensive experience in TV. I recently directed the Emmy-Award-nominated kids show (Ahlan Simsim – Sesame Workshop). I also directed and produced several TV shows for regional platforms including Shahid, VIU and MBC. Ten years ago, I wrote and directed an experimental feature film (When Time Becomes a Woman) which was selected for the longest running sci-fi film festival, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival. My sister and I are currently writing two feature films (To Him We Return, Our Males and Females) and a TV Series (Samandal).

What’s your favourite short? 
I was fascinated by The Windshield Wiper and its take on various perspectives about love. From the region, I love Ave Maria and Condom Lead.

What does the Festival mean to you? 
The moment I received the news of being officially selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, I felt overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. First, and foremost, I hope the film gets to be seen by many people. This is what really matters at the end of the day for any storyteller. We also hope to build connections with potential partners, distributors and sales agents who would be interested in our feature films, so my journey as a film writer and director continues. And of course, we would be overly excited if we win the Grand Prix! And I would make my first award acceptance speech, what a milestone that would be!

Wa Thakarina Wa Unthana [Our Males and Females] is being shown as part of the International Competition I13. 

What was the starting point of O Que resta?
I was born in Germany, but my family is Portuguese. I remember spending every summer with my grandparents, who were farmers living in a small village in the Portuguese countryside. This place used to be full of life, but with time more and more people also immigrated to other countries of Europe in hopes of a better life. The village that once had hundreds of habitants nowadays is reduced to a few dozens of elderly farmers left to themselves. I knew I wanted to film there and capture the essence of that place. Emilio, the protagonist of this story, lives in a reality he doesn’t recognise anymore. What once was a lively animal farm he proudly owned, now is vanishing behind cracking walls and overgrown grass. He witnesses the creation of his lifetime being belittled by humans and slowly reclaimed by nature.

What was the experience of casting and directing your cast like?
Almost nobody in the cast had acted before and everybody was casted from this part of the country. Some people we found on the streets, others in local cafés. Working with the cast, especially Carlos Cairrão, was one of the most satisfying experiences of making the film. He had never acted before but was already part of a local folklore group, so he understood his responsibilities and that we had to rehearse for example. After the third day he started adding some ideas for the character himself. The hardest part was casting the ram. I originally scripted it to be a pig, but soon we found out that pigs are really hard to control. Especially inside a driving car. So, after searching for two weeks, we ended up casting this ram. I think it was the right decision.

Silence in your film seems to be more important than dialogue. What are the challenges of filming in this way, showing things instead of saying them?
There might be a lack of dialogues, but if you really listen, there are a lot of sounds going on in the midst of all the silence. I spent a lot of time crafting the sounds together with sound designer Miguel Martins and there is a lot of details and nuances happening. But I understand what you’re asking and what interests me the most about cinema is that it’s foremost a visual language, where without words you can say a lot. I like films where the viewer needs to be working, putting the things together, and especially feel. Feel the places and situations that are happening on the screen. I felt that this film had to have a lot of silence because the main character himself is a person that does not talk a lot. He gives rhythm to the piece with his presence. He says a lot with only his eyes.

Is there a particular short film that has made a strong impression on you?
At Telluride I saw a film called Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit Into His Suit that I found very fascinating. It’s by a Mexican filmmaker called Gabriel Herrera. It’s very hard to describe and took me to places I had never been before. Another one that stayed with me was Gasman by Lynne Ramsay. More than the story I loved how it’s directed. How every second of the film seems to have clear intention. The framing is incredible as well.

What’s your definition of a good film?
A good movie leaves space for interpretation. It stays with you long after the final scene. Sometimes you don’t even enjoy a film while watching it, but then it stays with you for weeks and you keep coming back to it. It connects with your subconsciousness and you as a viewer become partly the creator of the film as well. 

O Que resta [What Remains] is being shown as part of International Competition I13.

What was the starting point of Get Ready. Off to the Feast?
It’s all started from the article. Our script writer Julia Pogrebnyak read an article and this horrible thing happening today in Russia was the starting point. Every year about 1240 girls on North Caucasus become victims of genital mutilation. Traditionally mothers or grandmothers bring girls to this procedure. We realised that we cannot be silent about this topic. In 2020 the script by Julia Pogrebnyak won a competition “Quick Start” organised by a streaming service START and a production company Potential Film. START is a leader in creating original content in Russia and the CIS. The company was looking for short film scripts for production and new talents to collaborate with. Get Ready. Off to the Feast was our first project together with START. Continuing our collaboration, we are already working on a spin-off of the premium drama Gold Diggers. The first season was purchased by Amazon as Originals and Exclusives.

What inspired you Maya’s character?
Maya is a warrior, and this was my inspiration. She is alone among the strangers. She has her own point and she fights for it. Is her point of view right or wrong? This is a question because her actions in the end lead to the tragedy.

What was the most challenging part when directing Get Ready. Off to the Feast?
The most challenging part was casting. It was not easy to find women who will be ready to participate in this project since the topic is very sensitive. Most of the actress from North Caucasus refused to participate in our casting. It was hard for them to talk about it because they live inside these traditions.

How do you hope audiences will react to the film?
The audiences in Russia already saw the film, the reaction was first silence, rejection and then awareness. I realised that there were two different kinds of reaction from men and from women. Mostly men try not to talk about it. You can see that this topic is very hard for them and women react absolutely oppositely, they want to discuss the topic and they find the story touching. It is very interesting for me to see how audience will react in Europe.

Is there a particular short film that has made a strong impression on you?
I would say that films of Alexey Balabanov made a strong impression on me. Also the animated short film of Tomm Moore There’s a Monster in My Kitchen influenced me. The worlds he creates are always beautiful and interesting. In his works there is always some special message which is presented to audience with short and understandable language.

What’s your definition of a good film?  
I think the good film is the film you watch till the end. And the film after which you will have a question or thought in your head. It is when you’ve got a thought and this thought brings you to something bigger. The film changing you and making some impression on you regardless to the genre. It can make you laugh or make you angry. For me it means that the film is working, and this is a definition of a good film.

Get Ready. Off to the Feast is being shown as part of International Competition I13.