BORN CRYING (Nacimos Llorando), 21min., Dominican Republic
Directed by Fernando Cattori
"Nacimos Llorando" (Born Crying), is a musical short film featuring two original songs, "Llorar" and "Kintsugi” from Rubio’s new album Venus & Blue, the artistic experiment of renowned Chilean artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Francisca Straube.

https://www.facebook.com/franstraubemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/rubiomusic_/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The main motive as to why tell this story comes from memories of my adolescence. As a young queer person living in the Mexican Caribbean; that didn't really have the tools, or glossary of terms to define what he was feeling. Realizing now, years later, as an adult, how little we really know about ourselves, how little we listen to our desires and how little light we shed on our emotional side.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
We first started talking to Rubio and her team about two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic. I was walking down the street in downtown Mexico City, as my Spotify radio played one of her songs. We reached out and established interest in collaborating for a project. Fran, Rubio's lead singer, contacted us earlier this year to let us know that the album was ready. That's when the creative and narrative process began, once I had a green light on her behalf. I knew I wanted to tell a story close to the heart, I knew it had to be violent, it had to be raw, it had to be innocent, and it had to tell a story about the naivety of sexual desire during adolescence.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Desire and Friendship.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle as a director was to be able to direct non-actors, in conditions that weren't the most friendly in that regard. We had a really tight schedule, during pre-production and whilst shooting as well. Trust got us through it, and both lead characters and the rest of the cast really pulled through.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
To me, and this might be controversial, filmmaking as an art form really is dependent on an audience, a film begins its life once it occupies space and time on a viewer's mind. I've learned through experience and talking to directors whom I've looked up to or collaborated with, and I've come to ponder that one of the most important aspects about directing is finishing a piece of work and put it out there. The audience is the void in which that piece lives. So I was moved to witness feedback expressing that they loved the imagery, the natural acting, and the sound design.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I started making videos at age 6 when my dad gifted me his VCR camcorder after a long trip to Oaxaca in which i basically abducted his camera and shot everything by myself. It's kind of cliche, but I've always wanted to direct, either plays or movies... It ended up being the latter.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Alonso Ruizpalacios's 'Güeros' or Xavier Dylan's 'MOMMY'.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I'd say, to involve the directors and producers in the conversation post-screening.

9. What is your favorite meal?
Ceviche.

10. What is next for you? A new film?
I'm writing a short film, fully narrative, and also been working on two feature film scripts along with a couple of friends.