ESPECIAL is a very endearing project for me: Ignacio Márquez
Divya Jay: Tell us about your background and how you got into filmmaking.
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: I studied film at University and in parallel I started learning theatre. Even my first cinematographic experience was through the theatre because I have specialized in directing actors so I had the possibility to work with different directors fulfilling that role. But interest lies in writing and general direction. I have had the privilege of being able to carry out a career that has allowed me to show my creative work in latitudes very distant from my country, as is the case of India. The fact that different and diverse people and cultures have the opportunity to appreciate my work is the greatest privilege of it.
Divya Jay: What challenges do you face as a filmmaker?
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: Being able to build stories that resonate with the audience.
Divya Jay: What genres of films do you make (feature/documentary/shorts, etc.)
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: Mainly fiction films, the duration does not matter as long as the story has the possibility of impacting the public. I had the possibility of making both short films and feature films and I believe that the main difference has to do with the planning time and the completion time, not with the creative process, since as with the written narrative the value of a story it is not less than that of a novel, as long as it is important to the reader. In case of the cinematic experience; the viewer.
Divya Jay: According to you what are the qualities that are needed to be a successful filmmaker?
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: Number 1, the constancy … Number 2, the constancy … Number 3, the constancy …
Divya Jay: Have you done any short films before this feature film? If yes, how different is short film making from feature film making?
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: The main difference is fundamentally in the financing requirement. Obviously a feature film potentially has a higher financial demand. Regarding the creative experience, since they are narrative works, there is no major difference beyond the awareness of time management and that the short film, because it is not so conditioned to industry guidelines, allows the possibility of greater risk and experimentation.
Divya Jay: Tell us about the making of your film THE SPECIAL
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: A very endearing project because 9 years passed between the first writing idea until its premiere. It means that it is a project that has had a period of development over several important periods of my life and that has marked me both professionally and personally. I understand the creative process as a process of living experience and in constant movement, so this film has a very special value because it addresses the theme of people with Down syndrome with whom I have a very particular empathy, as well as the concept of family as a fundamental value in personal development.
Divya Jay: How do you choose the star cast for your film?
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: I give a lot of weight to the sensory, so I don’t usually do a conventional casting process. In the case of Greyber Rengifo, the Down actor, I have worked with the Down population for many years, doing theatre with them and Greyber is part of a special theater company that I helped found, so it was very easy to choose him. He has a great capacity for play and improvisation which contributes a lot to the creation and execution of the character. In the case of Ruper Vásquez, he is a musician that I have known for a long time and since the musical demand in the character was important, I decided to bet on him, especially because of his human dimension, since he is a very particular musician with a bet of work in the human experience of the creative fact. The film was greatly enriched by the contributions of both and our bond has been greatly consolidated both personally and professionally. We had a very special rehearsal process in which the three of us shared three months full of creativity and humanity.
Divya Jay: Who are your favourite filmmakers and movies?
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: The list would be very extensive because I have many favorite directors and films, but I am going to name one in particular who was a very important reference in the creation of this film and is the director Wong Kar-Wai… Each and every one of his films…
Divya Jay: Please give a message to aspiring filmmakers.
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: Constancy, research, constancy, study, constancy, reading, constancy, constancy …
Divya Jay: Please share a few words as to how you feel about your film being shown at 18th Chennai International Film Festival.
Mr. Ignacio Márquez: The greatest happiness of a director is that his work is seen and appreciated by the public. That my film has the possibility of being shown in such a remote and knowledgeable country is a reason for celebration and rejoicing, even more so when it will be the first face-to-face screening of the film worldwide. I hope the CHUO story will resonate with the Indian public.
