1 – This story is told through multiple characters in a very peculiar way. How was this script written? Was it always structured like this?
At the beginning I wanted to write three short 5-minute stories that would eventually come together on a final resolution story. The goal was to create a capsule-style miniseries for social media and get the audience to empathize with our characters and their main conflict: their love towards Lucía. But then the opportunity arose to make it into a 20-minute short film, and I decided to honor the three-story structure coalescing into a final scene where the characters of Marc and Javier confront each other.
2 – The mixture of romantic comedy tropes and real life drama is delightful. What was it like to talk about goodness and illness through characters that represent no bad intentions at all? How did you prepare the actors for each role?
The truth is that I drew inspiration from my own mother when writing this story. A woman capable of doing what Lucía does, sacrificing herself only to be close to her daughter… I do not think there is anything more sacred in life than the love of a parent towards their children. We are conditioned by this love.
When I spoke to the actors, I told them about my understanding of life. I believe that our life is this amazing journey filled with dangers we need to overcome. In our story, all characters are noble. Their kindness is their driving force. And they are led by this inner instinct, which is why it is so beautiful to see how they resolve complicated situations whether in love or in their life challenges.
3 -The camera work of Martínez de Bujo is very effective and precise. Could you share the highlights of working together? How did you approach each decision in regards to camera movement and post production editing within certain shots?
I have known Roman Martínez de Bujo for many years now. We know each other pretty well. He is a very special Cinematographer with a natural film sensitivity. Our approach was to capture the natural beauty of the scenes so that they can transmit feelings, but, most of all, as is the case of “Same day, same time”, Roman manages to capture the characters’ emotions through light. That is why on the night scene at the café, the red hues from the outside project a degree of intimacy that clashes with the colder light that surrounds our characters inside. He captured the contrast between the passion they feel and the coldness of their circumstances. And that is Roman’s magic.
4 – Fourth wall breaking can be found all over different media. What effect did you hope to achieve by using it? Would you continue to test this eccentric narrative device in future works?
I strived to achieve a degree of complicity with the audience at all times, to get them close to our characters, like a confidante. I feel very comfortable with this type of narrative because I believe this is how you imbibe structural freedom to the film. You can break the space/time and push the story forward. Besides, it allows you to go in and out of reality at the right moment. I greatly enjoy the type of cinema that plays with fantasy elements. Bergman, Fellini, Tarantino and many other current directors use this technique as a means to bring poetry to their stories. I feel attracted to a more oneiric kind of cinema that takes us away from reality. A cinema that allows us to dream about improbable, but recognizable stories or situations.
5 – What was the most difficult thing you dealt with in the process of creating the piece? How did obstacles or inconveniences transform during production?
The actors’ interaction with the audience and the way the communicate among them is one of the things I had to explain in minute detail because, on paper, there were some confusing situations. For instance, when Raúl and Lucía speak sort of telepathically with no justification at all. Regardless, these confusions made it all the more stimulating both for the cast and the crew.
6 – This short film constantly finds a way to subvert sadness with happiness. Would you continue to explore similar narrative devices and thematics in your future films? What is your stance towards tragic films that explore the darker side of human emotion?
Yes, I feel very comfortable in this type of narrative, that sways from comedy to drama. It reflects life itself. I can understand that something comedic may happen at a loved one’s funeral and that doesn’t take away the drama of the situation. Quite the opposite.
I have always been fascinated by movies exploring the darker side of the human condition so long as they are told by masters like Bergman, Antonioni or, more recently, Pawel Pawlikowski; directors who use fantasy and the magic of cinema to explore the human soul. If the visual proposal is too real or explicit, it takes me away, as I find it uncomfortable and unstimulating. I need the cinematic narrative to surround the vision, no matter how tough it is.
7 – Can you watch your own work and recognize external influences from other artists? If you could choose, what kind of work would you like to inspire through this short film?
Still today I feel moved and shocked by Bergman and Fellini’s films. In my case it has been tough to avoid those influences. I cannot escape them, and I don’t want to because I feel I must have my own voice. I try to keep my personality in my projects, and I will always fight for this feeling. I believe any filmmaker needs to leave their own footprint, whichever that may be. In my case, I want to do it by means of these dramedies because this is the best genre for me to express myself. I want to bring the narrative of suspense to an emotional story. Genders are paramount to me and in this instance, the amalgamation of suspense and emotion was key. Both Roger Corbi, my producer with whom I work in close contact in all my projects, and I would like that the influence generated by our films gave way to a new genre called Emotional Suspense, where dramas or comedies had an inherent component of intensity and mystery.