A decade of collaboration: our film and acting tutors Marcio and Filipe’s third Berlinale premiere
We're thrilled to share that the latest co-directed film by tutors Filipe Matzembacher (Film Production and Screenwriting) and Marcio Reolon (Acting and Screenwriting) will have its world premiere next Friday 14 February at the 75th Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival).
The duo are moving from strength to strength as they release their third co-directed feature film. BEIRA-MAR (Seashore) premiered at the 65th Berlinale in 2015. It went on to win Best Film at the Novos Rumos section and the Félix Jury Special Award at Rio International Film Festival. Three years later, HARD PAINT was screened at the 68th Berlinale. It won the Teddy Award for the best LGBTQ feature film of the festival as well as the C.I.C.A.E Award. To date, HARD PAINT has been screened at over 100 film festivals around the world. It has won over 30 awards and earning spots on many "Best of 2018" and "Best of the Decade" lists.
As they prepare for their next big premiere, we sat down with the superstar duo to discuss their collaborative creative process and what audiences can expect from Night Stage.
Before and after filming Night Stage, you both taught at Catalyst. How did your time teaching influence the film, and how has this latest feature film influenced your teaching?
FM: Talking about cinema always gets us so excited and fires up our passion even more. Before heading back to Brazil we were all about prep for the film and the in class debates and workshops felt like pure energy for us. And now, coming back after this whole process, we’ve changed a lot. We always joke that we’re new people after finishing a film and Night Stage is bigger than anything we’ve done before. Huge crew, big cast, tons of locations, hundreds of extras and so many complex scenes. We’re super proud of how it turned out and couldn’t be happier. So now, going back to teaching, all of this experience really adds to our story, and we’re sharing that story with our students.
MR: I can't separate my filmmaker self from my teacher self. One is connected to the other. I always bring questions that arise in the classroom into my films, and I bring the lessons from my filmmaking process back into my classes.
This is your third feature film working together. How do you find common ground and move forward when your visions are not the same?
FM: The key to that is communication. We talk a lot during development and pre-production, watch tons of films together. Slowly but surely, we start imagining very similar films, so we don't end up with big differences.
MR: Actually, this is a big focus for us. We even did a TED Talk on the topic of collaboration (watchable here, in Portuguese). It’s something we really believe in. And it’s such an important tool to share, especially in an art school like Catalyst. During Berlinale, we'll be part of a talk about co-directing (Organised by the Teddy Awards, more info here).
Over ten years working together is impressive! How did you go about assembling your crew for this film?
FM: We’ve been working with most of our team since film school, which is really cool. We’ve shaped our vision of cinema alongside each other. Our production designer Manuela Falcão, for example, was our classmate and has been with us since our very first film school project. These are beautiful and long partnerships that go beyond the professional sphere.
MR: And of course, over time, new people have joined the team. This is the first time we’ve worked with the incredibly talented musician Thiago Pethit for the original soundtrack and Thiago has added a new dimension to the film And the cast – wow, it’s amazing. We have actors from all over the country, with such different backgrounds and their performances are just beautiful.
The rich cinematography that made HARD PAINT so visceral is also present in Night Stage. What other similarities are there between your co-directed feature films?
FM: Seashore had a lot of gray tones. Hard Paint was kind of a mix – offline, the colors were more muted, but online, they exploded. With Night Stage, though, it's all about the colors throughout the entire story. They really helped us build this hypnotic world the main character dives into. Plus, the contrast emphasizes the duality of the story.
MR: A strong similarity between all our films is our careful work with the cast. Acting is always an important part of our filmmaking, and with each film we feel more skilled and eager to explore new and more daring paths. In relation to Hard Paint, there is another important similarity, which is a more elaborate script. Night Stage goes for an even more plot-driven narrative. It was an intense scriptwriting process, and we were extremely pleased with the result.
Finally, what should we expect from Night Stage?
FM: Night Stage is an erotic thriller that explores the clash between ambition and desire, identity and capitalism. We can’t wait for everyone at Catalyst to check it out! Oh, and the first three screenings at Berlinale will have a Q&A with the cast and crew.
Sounds perfect for Valentine's day. Tickets go on sale on at 10:00 on Monday 10 February. Don’t miss the chance to be part of the next chapter in our duo’s exceptional work together.