An interview about "El Santo" with Agustín Carbonere
We sat down with “El Santo” director, Agustin Carbonere, and had an in-depth interview about his creative process.
What cinematic or cultural references did you incorporate into "El Santo" to enrich the audience's experience or your own?
There are few direct cinematic references; it has more to do with a mix of all the films I like, rather than any specific film, director, or genre.
The main references come from literature or historical figures. There's a novel by Argentine author Sara Gallardo called Eisejuaz, which was very decisive in helping me find the tone. As for the framing and character creation, the book by Scandinavian photographer and essayist Jonas Bendisken, The Last Testament, helped a lot. It's about people who claim to be the second coming of Jesus in the world. The book is a must-read, and the interviews are done without any cynicism, which was also very important to me in the film. A non-cynical, non-condescending view. The lives of figures like Jim Jones, Aleister Crowley, Madame Blavatsky, or even Rasputin were of great inspiration.
I was also interested in the symbolism of sacred images from all religions, cults, especially Afro-American ones, which create a syncretism between Afro and Christianity, generating highly polysemic combinations.
Could you describe the process of creating the music and soundtrack for the film?
In fact, I used a procedure, it was actually very natural because I listened to a lot of music throughout the whole process. While writing the script, I listened to music that helped me imagine. Then I started composing while thinking about how to film scenes; it served as a meditation method. That music naturally became attached to the script's words. There was a kind of feedback loop between music and image creation, so the music I composed as I progressed in pre-production fit well into the narrative when editing. Besides, music plays a vital atmospheric role. They are not melodies but textures that accompany the protagonist's emotions.
How would you describe your unique approach or personal style in your role as director?
I think the revealing aspect is the tone, which was the hardest thing for me to design. I feel it's the most original because it has a degree of thriller, but at the same time, it has a layer of humor.
Another thing about the tone that makes it different is that the film starts almost like a light portrait of the character, with a touch of a dreamlike nature, and as it progresses, that tone changes and becomes darker and denser. The dreamlike later turns into a nightmare. The tone is like a ship that sinks at one point after leaving a sunny port.
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It's not insignificant that for an indie film, the movie has a strong form, a strong image. A marked style, I would say. And I think it's a type of approach that is not abundant in this kind of cinema, which may be more focused on narrative structures or the themes it deals with.
What particular scene represented the biggest challenge for you as a director, and why?
There are several complex scenes to carry out, but undoubtedly those with the child were the most complex. The key was in choosing him; despite his young age, he is a very focused actor who understood the tone of everything.
I was shocked at his casting, I had him improvise, and he showed a tremendous imaginative capacity, which is the most important thing in an actor. But he had some very raw, physical, and disturbing scenes. One in particular, I don't want to spoil too much, but when people see it, it's even controversial.
We approached that scene from the perspective of play, and together with the protagonist Roberto Suarez who generated it and the boy himself, it was an adventure to make it happen. It was lovely to see him and his mother get emotional watching the final result. I think he has a very promising career ahead.
What are the main differences and similarities you experienced between directing commercials and feature films?
I think there are fewer differences than I thought there would be. There are the logical and obvious differences, such as the duration of the piece, purpose, and production times.
However, the craft and the speed in making decisions to solve problems are exactly the same. In fact, I am very grateful for my experience as an advertising director because I arrived at a challenging shoot with a lot of muscle and expertise.