MEET THE FILMMAKERS: CARLOS J. MATOS

Part 3 of The Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival IN CONVERSATION Series, hosted by Festival Director and Screen-Space Managing Editor, Simon Foster.

2091 (Spain, 6.46 mins) In the distant year of 2091, three warrior-hackers face off against the mad AI known as Control in a last-ditch effort to liberate their city, and save mankind's future.

Director’s Statement: “It was equal parts challenge and pleasure to attempt telling a compelling narrative using just images without a single line of dialogue. The production itself was, without a doubt, the most ambitious thing I’ve ever attempted to do. It almost fell apart at one point, and never would have come together were it not for the hard work and tireless dedication of everyone involved.”

Screening in the FREE EVENT: INTERNATIONAL SCIFI SHORT FILM SHOWCASE on Saturday November 21 at Actors Centre Australia . Entry is FREE when you purchase any session ticket.

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SIMON: What have been the science-fiction works – books, films, art of any kind – that have inspired your work and forged your love for the genre?

CARLOS: Ok, this will be a tough one because the answer basically involves 98% of my life. My mom started me real early; I think I watched A New Hope for the first time when I was like 6 or 7. Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, A Nightmare on Elm Street… the works. For sure the films that have influenced my work the most would be Alien, and it’s sequel. I still watch those 2-3 times a year, every year. Dune, which I got massively into during my late teens, is also a huge part; I’m a little embarrassed to say I have the litany against fear tattooed on my ribs. Outside of film and literature, a big part of my stylistic influences actually come from manga. The works of Junji Ito and Kouta Hirano, in particular, are huge sources of inspiration.

SIMON: How did the original concept for your film take shape? What aspects of your film’s narrative and your protagonist’s journey were most important to you?

CARLOS: I originally pitched this concept as a narrative fashion film to the folks at ZER Collection, who provided the wardrobe for the film. They’re an independent label based in Barcelona who create these incredible, unique pieces using 3D printing; really futuristic detailing blended with classic silhouettes. Like something out of Blade Runner. So really, the entire narrative was built around this idea of a small group of resourceful women taking on larger than life forces, in this case the fashion industry.

SIMON: Does the ‘science-fiction’ genre have deep roots in the art and cultural history of your homeland? Were the resources, facilities and talent pool required to bring your film to life easily sourced?

CARLOS: I’m a bit of a stranger in a strange land, always have been. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, which historically hasn’t been much of a hotbed for genre, moved to the US when I was 18, then Spain. I was incredibly fortunate to have a mother who was a huge genre geek, who grew up in the US and brought all this pop culture baggage with her, who first introduced me to this world. I don’t think I would have ever gone down this path were it not for her. Spain thankfully, especially Madrid where I live, is a massive film hub. There are a ton of high-quality resources and talent, and people generally seem to get really excited when it comes to genre filmmaking. It was, without a doubt, the right place for attempting a project of this scope.

SIMON: Describe for us the very best day you had in the life cycle of your film…

CARLOS: We ran into several brutal challenges during production, particularly in regards to the set design. Originally the locations where the film takes place, the hallway and the “inner sanctum”, were supposed to be physical sets. That unfortunately fell through at literally the last minute; I mean, the morning when filming was set to start, because of some bad calls by the people in charge of construction. We ended up scrapping the sets entirely, and came up with this idea of recreating those spaces using lighting. 100% of the credit there goes to DOP Adonis Macias (@adonis.azulroto) and his lighting department, who managed to somehow pull off that idea and make it viable on basically zero time. The second day of filming, when we had the AI “core” of Control up on trusses, with the new light set, and the actresses came in wearing full costume, the feeling was exhilarating. It really felt like we had battled our way through and pulled it off.

SIMON: Having guided your film from idea to completion, what lessons and advice would you offer a young science-fiction filmmaker about to embark on a similar journey?

CARLOS: I think what makes genre so interesting, sci-fi in particular, is the fact that we wrestle with these really high concept ideas that need to somehow be brought into a visual realm. Locations, sets, costumes, characters; these fantastic journeys that don’t exist at all in the real world and have to be built from scratch. In that regard, the most important lesson I took from this project (my second short film, chronologically) was learning when to let go of a particular detail the way you had envisioned it, and either scrap or re-adapt it. There will always be things you can’t and shouldn’t budge on, the cornerstones of your story, but there will be plenty others that, due to circumstances beyond your control, will inevitably have to change. You really have to be flexible and resourceful, and think on the fly. At the end of the day it's better to get it in the can, even if it’s not exactly what you imagined, than to not get it at all.

2091 — Official Teaser from Carlos J. Matos on Vimeo.