'America' director Aly Muritiba and star and producer Luca Castellani join THR contributing editor Stacey Wilson Hunt for a THR Frontrunners conversation about their short film.
00:00I started modeling and then I've been saving my whole life to become an actor and that's
00:07the money I used to finance this film.
00:08Finally, you know, I think I got a seat at the table and I decided to be a producer,
00:14create the opportunity for myself.
00:16I know I can create opportunities that wasn't given to me when all I needed was one.
00:28This film is very painful in a lot of ways, very timely.
00:32A lot of the images are things we're used to seeing on a daily basis, maybe hourly basis
00:36now in America.
00:39So Ali, I'm going to start with you.
00:41I guess I was very struck by the timeliness of the film in the sense that when did you
00:45write this and how quickly were you able to shoot it in order for us to see it now?
00:50Because this crisis really seems to have become so exaggerated really in the last four to five
00:54months.
00:55But tell me about your timeline.
00:57Well, when I met Lucas some time ago, we started to talk about a possibility to make
01:04a move together.
01:06And Lucas started to tell me his story as an immigrant here in USA, trying to live his life,
01:16trying to live this American dream.
01:20And in that time, we decided that we maybe can write some story about it.
01:27And you're both from Brazil?
01:28Yeah.
01:29Just making sure everyone knows.
01:30Okay.
01:31And then when the government here changed and the immigrant policy changed as well, we
01:38figured out that this should be our subject to talk about immigration here.
01:48But not just about the life of a Brazilian guy here, but a Brazilian guy who is trying to
01:57live his life.
01:59And the only possibility to do it is through love.
02:06Maybe find a partner who can help him to survive in this situation.
02:14And so around in March, I started to write this script.
02:21And in April, we decided to shoot.
02:25We shoot during four days.
02:28And one week after this, we had this no king protest here.
02:37Bunch are happening tomorrow.
02:38Yeah.
02:39So this is good timing.
02:40Yeah.
02:41Yeah.
02:42And we bring Luca to...
02:45Luca, he's going there and we decided to film it, to put on the short film.
02:54And where did you physically film?
02:57Where did this take place?
02:58We shot the film here in LA, but the scene of the beginning of the movie was in San Francisco.
03:06Yes?
03:07I know.
03:08We actually shot in Chicago.
03:09Chicago.
03:10Sorry.
03:11Due to...
03:12At the time, you know, the story came very genuinely because when me and Ali were talking
03:17about what story we want to tell the world, I was going through the process of acquiring
03:21my American citizenship, which I just acquired in last June.
03:26Oh, wow.
03:27And...
03:28Thank you for sticking with us.
03:29We need you.
03:31Hopefully safe now.
03:34But then, when Ali had the idea and he said, you know, we finished shooting after that
03:41in May, things got really wild against immigrants.
03:45And Ali wanted me to go to a protest and film a couple of actual scenes.
03:51And the protests in LA were unfortunately a little violent.
03:55So, I told Ali, I just don't feel safe.
03:58And I had to go to Chicago.
04:01Yeah.
04:02Sorry, I got a little emotional talking about you.
04:04Oh, that's okay.
04:05It's a very emotional subject.
04:06So, thank you for sharing that.
04:08And I would say one of the many obstacles facing filmmakers now is financing.
04:13It's sort of impossible, no matter who you are.
04:16Yeah.
04:17So, I want to know, Luka, how did you finance this movie?
04:19What sort of tactics did you use?
04:22Did you ask friends?
04:23Did you get financiers?
04:24Tell me what kind of support you had to make the film.
04:27Well, you know, we filmed this film, I think, in four or five days.
04:32I can't recall, but this film has been the make for the past 10.
04:36I had my modeling career at the beginning.
04:39I'm so sorry, guys.
04:40It's okay.
04:41Honestly, this is a safe room.
04:42We all want to cry all day long right now.
04:44So, it's fine.
04:45Truly, this feels like going back to create this character brought me back to the beginning
04:51of my career when I left Brazil at 17.
04:54And I had to look back and feel what I felt when I was 17 moving here to bring time to life.
05:02How did that feel?
05:04What did it feel like to be 17 in a strange country where you didn't speak the language?
05:10It feels scary.
05:11You know, you have no power.
05:13You don't belong.
05:14And it's a really, really long journey.
05:17But I started modeling and then I've been saving my whole life to become an actor.
05:24And that's the money I used to finance this film.
05:27Finally, you know, I think I got a seat at the table and I decided to be a producer, create
05:33the opportunity for myself.
05:35And I really want to stick to being a producer in the foreseeable future because now I know
05:43I can create opportunities that wasn't given to me when all I needed was one.
05:48Of course.
05:50Let's give him some love.
05:54And by the way, it doesn't matter who you are in Hollywood.
05:57Every successful person has to make their own work now.
06:00It doesn't matter who you are.
06:02So you're in great company and I'm so glad you took the risk.
06:05Really.
06:06Absolutely.
06:07I'm sorry.
06:08I'm a little nervous and I'm very emotional because really bringing Tom to life was so
06:12challenging.
06:13I don't think in my journey I ever looked back to give myself credit for how far I've
06:19come and, you know, for accomplishing my American citizenship and everything else I did.
06:24So, bringing Tom to life allowed me to do that and it was the biggest gift that this
06:31character gave me.
06:33Thank you so much.
06:37It's why we're here.
06:38And I'm glad you feel safe to share your emotions.
06:40I really appreciate it.
06:43And I want to talk about casting.
06:44I love Cheyenne Jackson.
06:45I'm a huge fan of his.
06:46I'm from the Northwest.
06:47He's from the Northwest part of the United States.
06:49And I really love the chemistry that you have with him on screen.
06:53It's palpable.
06:54I truly believe these two people love each other.
06:56So, Ali, tell me about your approach to casting.
06:58How did you attach Cheyenne?
06:59Did you know him previously?
07:01Did you audition him?
07:02What was that process?
07:03Well, this was the first experience with Lucas as an actor.
07:12So, we talked about how important it was to us to work with an experienced actor to support
07:23me and to support him because it was my first time.
07:27So, I had a lot of feature film in my country and I'm making some important TV shows there.
07:34But ten years after I became to do a short film in a different country, in a different language.
07:44So, we decided that it was important to us to invite an experienced actor to support us to make this movie.
07:53And Cheyenne is a great actor.
07:56But at the same time, he had a strong work with the LGBTQA plus subjects.
08:06So, we invited him.
08:08And when he read the script, he jumped into it.
08:17That's great.
08:18He's a real pro.
08:19He's really great.
08:20And tell me, what was the most difficult day you had shooting?
08:24And, you know, everything can go wrong and it usually does when you're making a movie.
08:28You lose a location or the weather isn't cooperating.
08:31What was a day that you had a challenge and you had to cleverly solve that challenge?
08:36Maybe, Luca, you can ask.
08:37This is good because Lucas can tell a beautiful story because the last scene in this movie is a strong scene.
08:46It's too difficult for an actor to find this strong emotion to sell us the feeling that we need to feel.
08:58And when I wrote this scene and I shared this scene to Lucas, Luca told me,
09:07Wow, this is tough.
09:08I don't know if I can do it.
09:11And I pushed Luca.
09:13And in this day, the thing was really, really hard and difficult.
09:20But Luca fight a lot to sell us these emotions.
09:27So, Luca, you can tell us your experience with this scene because it was beautiful.
09:32And that day was the second day.
09:34And I told Lucas, welcome.
09:37You are a great actor.
09:41Yeah, I think as far as production, it's so hard to make an independent film and short with very limited budgets and resources.
09:51And on my end, on my shoulder, there was Del Waits to Answers and Ali's expectations.
09:59One of the greatest directors of Brazil who is doing incredible shows, HBO series, The City of Gods and incredible budget.
10:07So, it felt a little, you know, hard to, like, that responsibility.
10:11Ali accepted to do something with me in the beginning of my journey.
10:15But as far as production, our team was so talented and competent.
10:19Like, they really made things happen.
10:22Our line producer, sound, costume design, makeup, everybody was so on, multitasking, making everything happen.
10:29But the biggest challenge, I think, was emotionally.
10:33There was a character, Ali, his sensitivity in writing, wrote something so deep, a character with such an emotional depth.
10:43And there was a scene that was so technical.
10:45It's the ending scene where the person I love is dying in my arms.
10:50I'm driving and, you know, holding his wound so he stops bleeding.
10:55And then he had, you know, he has to sing in a way to try to create that last moment of connection before he dies.
11:05And that was a lot.
11:06And, unfortunately, due to budget, we delayed filming that day and we had to wrap.
11:12The sound studio was about to close.
11:15And we only had one shot.
11:17And they told me we needed to film that in one shot.
11:20And that was, you know, this is my first film.
11:22That's a big motivator for you in that moment.
11:26Yes.
11:27And then we filmed that scene and then it didn't go well.
11:31It didn't look great.
11:32I, you know, there was lights on me.
11:34I couldn't, I couldn't feel it.
11:36And then they thought they need, they had what they needed.
11:40But you know when you just know you can do better.
11:43And that I couldn't accept it.
11:46That's it.
11:47And they were closing.
11:48So I went to Ali and I said, Ali, I respect your work.
11:50And I know you're telling me you got what you needed.
11:52But I don't think we did.
11:54And I really want to try again.
11:57I just need one more shot.
11:58Give me 10 minutes.
11:59And so they were like hesitant and the studio wanted to close.
12:03But the guys really decided to do it.
12:06I went back.
12:07I went backstage and I was like really concentrating.
12:10They were cleaning Cheyenne's blood.
12:12And then I came back and it just, I don't know.
12:16That scene was so beautiful.
12:18It was one of the most powerful things I've ever done in my life.
12:21And I mean, it taught me a lesson to really ask for what you need.
12:28You know, speak up.
12:29And I don't think if I was working with another director that I didn't create that bond I did with Ali.
12:36And we didn't spend that time creating that story together.
12:39I don't think I'll be able to say, hey, I need to try again.
12:43And Ali understood.
12:45And we were able to deliver this really beautiful film and tell that incredible story about immigrants
12:51that needs to be said and told right now over and over so people remember who we are and where we all came from.
13:01It's not from here.
13:03Yes.
13:04Agreed.
13:05And Ali, what do you hope people feel when they watch this film?
13:09What is an emotion that you hope you're invoking in the audience?
13:14Well, I wrote this story to try to find a way to tell the people that we are all immigrants in the world.
13:25At least if we are not a Native American here in this country, we are all immigrants.
13:32So I was trying to create a story about tolerance, about love, and about how important it is to look at each other.
13:49When I decided to make a scene where we are with a young immigrant eating some food in his room, watching TV, I was trying to put the audience in his shoes to try to sell the audience.
14:17The feeling that, look, this is a human, this is a human, this is a guy like you, that has feelings, that has blood, that has fears and dreams.
14:30So I have the expectation that this small movie can share a kind of tolerance for the audience.
14:43Like we know the person.
14:44Yeah.
14:45I think you did that.
14:46Yeah.
14:47Yes.
14:48Let's applaud that as well.
14:50And Luca, final question for you.
14:52What feedback about the film has meant the most to you when you have shared this with people, whether it's you've sent it to friends, family, audiences like this?
15:00What has someone said to you that you feel, oh, this was all worth it?
15:05All the tears and the hard work and all the saving that you did all those years to make it, what has felt worth it to you?
15:12The tears keeps on coming, as you know, at one sees.
15:16But I think while you're doing screenings in the theatrical release, the short theatrical release we had, it was just incredible to see how many other Latino, how many immigrants were texting me and saying, hey, you know, thank you for telling our story.
15:38Thank you for reminding us where we come from.
15:41There was a guy from San Francisco who wrote me on Instagram and he said, I went to see your film and, you know, I'm from Ireland.
15:49My great, great grandfathers came from there and I kind of forgot was I come from somewhere, you know, I have roots somewhere else.
15:56And even myself, you know, it's been 10 years since I left Brazil and I kind of forgot that, you know, I got so immersed in this culture here, in this language, you know, I think in English nowadays.
16:09And then I kind of forgot like where I come from and that's what I say was the biggest gift from playing Tom was that I got a chance to look back and remind myself, hey, you're an immigrant.
16:21You got to, you got to do something, you got to say something, you got to be proud of it.
16:26So I think that was the biggest gift from people writing me and saying, you know, really recognizing and really noticing that they are also immigrants.
16:36This country is built by immigrants.
16:38The fresh food we have our table is coming from the hard work of immigrants.
16:43The flowers we get on the street market, sorry, comes from the hard work of immigrants, you know.
16:53And that's what meant the most to me in telling that story.
16:58And I didn't even knew it by the time we started shooting this film because at the time we were filming, there was a little bit of controversy around immigration.
17:07At the time it was mostly talking about tariffs.
17:10But then a week later after we finished, it was just 60,000 people were arrested.
17:17And that was, that was very hard.
17:20And it continues to be very, very difficult for people.
17:23But it, I think again, the reminder of we all come from somewhere and I think we all forget that.
17:27Yeah.
17:28It's a very good reminder.
17:29And before we wrap, I just want to let everyone know that the film is now available on the platform.
17:34So please tell your friends to watch it again, of course.
17:37Tell your friends to watch it.
17:38And make sure everyone in your peer group sees these films.
17:41It's really, you know, it's very imperative that people actually take the time to watch this.
17:44But thank you so much for your time.
17:46Congratulations.
17:47And we're so glad to have you as an American friend.
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