The Project

This project covers the collective work of a group of international filmmakers that understand film as a developing art. With it, we inaugurate our collaboration in the professional scene.

In this fiction, the lives of the characters converge in a tragic event. Manuel is an old carpenter, who still has to work, although his hands have lost their precision. Taking care of his toddler grandson, he carries a big responsibility. With them lives a big guardian dog. Manuel is fond of the animal since it gives him a sense of protection in case of any burglary. On the other hand, there is their neighbour José, another lonely old man in his village, who complaints about the constant barking of Manuel’s dog.

Moved by his generosity towards a friend in need, one day Manuel leaves his grandson alone at home. At that same moment, José finds his opportunity to get rid of his torment: the dog. But neither of them is capable of measuring what this fortuity brings. As in a classic tragedy, the characters’ will is subordinate to their destiny. But is everything really just a matter of fate?

Visually and sound wise, the short film will count on the construction of suspense, maintaining a strong naturalistic aesthetic. The plot develops in a small village and therefore we have looked for authentic locations, and also have started a casting process with natural actors of this region. In this sense we are eager to capture not only a rural lifestyle in which the story is inspired, but also to portray those silent conflicts that exist among us. In The Meanness latent horrors are veiled: what we don’t see acquires a more tragic and real dimension when we imagine it.

Director’s Note

I have a memory, from when I was a child, in which the village’s cock-fighting main enthusiast at that time was sharing bread with a dog. Before he would give the animal a piece, he would put the bread in his mouth and then give it to the dog, soaked in his own saliva. I was curious and so I asked him why he would do that.

He explained to me, that in doing so, the dog would never bite him. This precaution and obvious act of superstition where linked to an idea of control over nature, animals and life itself, that in the urban world I used to live, I had never encounter.

Found on the oriental cordillera of the Colombian Andes, La Jagua is the village where I was born, where I used to spend all my holidays, and where I came back to after studying film, to initiate my projects.

With The Meanness I am also opening the road to a long feature film called The Rain, which shares this same universe. I am interested in this place, not only because of its photogenic quality, but also because of that serene idiosyncrasy of those who live there. The place is drenched in a tranquility that at the same time encloses a great sense of abandonment. All of these elements have turned into the raw material for the stories I tell.

In this audiovisual work I also want to talk about an own personal dilemma concerning the concept of destiny as the cause of our actions, the unstoppable nature of misfortunes, the fragility of existence. “Goodness” and “meanness” are notions as difficult to define as “life” or “death”. There is no way of explaining their manifestation or their significance that is absolute, true and exact. Then, where does meanness linger? In our acts? In our intentions? Or is it within life itself, completely independent from our existence, our behavior? And can we actually exert power against it?

Who we are

The crew is formed by young professionals from all around the world, graduated from the EICTV (International Film and T.V. School, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba). We are all committed to the creation of a counter-cinema, a cinema that is conscious of its surrounding reality, that permeates its stories; an observant, reflexive and disquieting cinema.

Why we need your donation

We count on a low budget structure, and the unconditional support of many people, mainly the crew, who are donating not only their hard work and motivation, but also their plane tickets to Colombia.

We also count on the support of EFD Colombia* that is providing all the camera and light equipment. This is a price, which the screenplay won for Best Unpublished Script last September during FESTIVER, the international film festival in Barichara, Colombia. Although this incentive means a great deal on our budget, we have still some expenses we need to cover to collect it:

• Additional shooting day, with camera equipment, light and accessories.

• Insurance on all of the required equipment

• Gas and travel expenses for the equipment’s transportation and technicians.

• Lodging, food and transportation costs for the crew and technicians.

If we achieve a larger amount than our estimated initial budget, the money would be used for the purchase of hard disks and other post production

We thank you for your help!

About the rewards

The most important thing about our rewards is that from the very first donation quantity to our largest one, you will have access to the finished short film, either through an online screening or the original DVD.

Besides other by-product materials, like the poster, the making of, the original music or the dossier, there are many other rewards specifically designed for our supporters: a limited edition tote bag, a pack of the world’s best coffee (Huila Coffee, of course), and even a souvenir kit from all of our team’s countries!

Take a look at your screen’s right, and you’ll find all the detailed rewards!

Important Dates

Development: October 2014 – February 2015

Pre Production: March – April 2015

Shooting: April 13th – 17th 2015

Image and Sound Post Production: April – June 2015

Master: June 2015

Distribution: July 2015

Reward’s Delivery: August 2015

Additional Information

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