Ivan Fund and Santiago Loza Directors of ’Las Labios’

How did you two meet?

Ivan Fund: I already knew Santiago, we’ve been friends for a few years now, but we got to know each other better through this project. I had the idea for it, Santiago was interested and we started working together, writing the screenplay.

Santiago Loza: The idea of co-directing came during the writing process, but our confidence in each other had already grown over the years through working together.

How did the shooting go, in terms of working together and dividing the tasks?

I.F.: We both had a similar vision of the essential elements. After over two years of debating and thinking about this subject, when it came to the actual work on the movie it was quite easy. I was behind the camera, so more physically into the scene, and Santiago had a more general view.

S.L.: It was only natural, since I usually work more with the actors. So we shared opinions, I on the camera and him on my direction. Also, at the end of each day we would review what we had filmed and discuss how it came out and where should we take it from there.

I.F: The outline had been set, but there was also a lot of improvisation, especially in the scenes where the three characters interview the villagers. There were certain reactions that simply happened on the spot, so we also had to talk this through at that moment.

This film seems to be what we call a docu-fiction, a fictional film which has aspects of a documentary…

I.F.: I think that from the first moment it had to be something like this, didn’t it? (to Santiago). Originally the story came from some anecdotes that I heard from a friend who actually has a job very similar to the characters’.

S.L.: I think this wasn’t a choice but a theme in itself. This is a story of three women who do social work, so we had to deal with the real thing.

So it was a matter of realism.

S.L.: Yes, sort of… But you know, I’m at “war” with the notion of realism. On one hand, this is a fictional story, everything that happens is fictional, but it is infused by what we found on location.

I.F.: Most of the time it is not a documentary, because the people are acting as themselves. They knew they were free to improvise answers. It just happened that in most cases people preferred to say the truth because it was easier for them. We don’t even know when they are telling the truth and when they are improvising. So most of the actors are unprofessional.

I.F.: Raul is my uncle. He’s not an actor, and he’s not a municipality worker or driver either. But the three protagonists are professional actresses, and the rest of the cast are people from that place.

How hard was it for you to work with the people in these villages?

I.F.: I was born in San Cristobal, in the area where the shooting took place. So choosing these places also has to do with my fondness of them.

S.L.: I think people felt part of it and got more involved when they realized that they were not being used or manipulated in any way and that they were treated well. On the other hand, I also think that they weren’t intimidated by being a part of something too big, since we were such a small crew.

While they are in the village, the three characters don’t show much of what they are feeling. But when they come back to the place where they sleep you can really feel the “heaviness” of their days as well as their solitude. How did you manage that?

S.L.: This idea was at the core of the project. The film deals with both the public and private sides of the matter.

I.F.: This is also determined by our individual styles, since I like dealing with groups, whereas Santiago likes dealing with individuals. I think these two actually meet towards the end. In the last scenes, you can see both how they act in a group and how each one of them feels individually.

By Mirona Nicola and Damien Rayuela