From director Carlos Atanes http://www.carlosatanes.com/ Proxima http://www.welcometoproxima.com brings us into a world where a science fiction fan can travel through space and time itself! Here's we have a transcript between Jeff Norris (iscifitv) and Carlos. This transcript is in text only as Carlos being a resident of Madrid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid asked that we exchange ideas via email since American English is not his preferred language.
Carlos is a great guy! He sent us a copy of Proxima on DVD , which is in Spanish, with English subtitles too. You should get this movie now!
iSCIFI. tv:Being a fan of many type of science fiction on television
and in movies, we noticed you reference star wars and star trek, is there favorite
Carlos: Yes, I am a Trekkie. "PROXIMA" is a SF movie about SF and SF lovers and, tastes aside, I think Star Trek is SF and Star Wars is not (it's just fantasy). That's what one of the characters is telling at video store sequence. I respect Star Wars liking, but me and my movie, as a pro-SF activists, tends to favor Star Trek, as you can see.
iSCIFI. tv: Proxima felt like a self discovery of ones orgin or creator. Did your religious beliefs influence you when creating the story.
Carlos: My religious culture more than my religious beliefs. When you see "PROXIMA" you find a lot of religious references. It's a premeditated exercise. Anyway the movie is about faith. Not about faith in God, but faith in something else. It is a simple question: is life meaningless or is there some kind of order in the universe? When we face faith is not possible to forget our religious influences, our cultural substrate. Apart from it, there are more matter in "PROXIMA", not strictly religious. "Anthropological" questions are: what is our fate as species? Must we live on Earth for ever? Could this sedentarism be dangerous and anti-evolutionary? If we are not alone, what if "they" find us before we find "them"?
iSCIFI. tv: You were both writer and director, do you prefer performing duel role in the creation of a film, or just behind the camera?
Carlos: Maybe I am basically a writer who makes movies. In fact I devote much more time writing than filming. But I I can't get these two roles apart, I always write and direct my movies.
iSCIFI. tv: Manel Solás who played Felix, was very strong willed in this film akin to Obi Wan (star wars). How is such energy created ?
Carlos: It's curious this comparison between "Felix Cadecq" and "Obi Wan". I had not thought in it, but it seems a good simile. Anyway, "Felix Cadecq" is directly inspired by famous SF writer Philip K. Dick (my favorite one together with Lem). The SF convention sequence is an imitation of the scandalous lecture K. Dick did in Metz in 1977. And his peculiar concept about reality/dream mixture spreads along the whole film.
iSCIFI. tv: Was Tony mad (lossing his mind), being brainwashed by Felix CDs?
Carlos: I think no, but the audience can do their own interpretation. Surely it depends on the realism level of each one. I have seen the most "pragmatist" people interpret it as a progressive hallucination, because they are no willing to believe it can be real. On the other hand, the most "dreamer" people (like me) prefer to believe. It is a choice. This film is a mirror: according to your interpretation you'll find what sort of view of the world you have. But let me say I did this movie as a dreamer and thinking about dreamers and their capacity for realize their dreams. For me Tony was ill just before that "brainwashing", not after.
iSCIFI. tv: Natalia was not a very nice woman and wanted to control Tony and his way of life. Was Tony traveling in his mind to escape Natalia?
Carlos: Natalia symbolizes the littleness, the people who does not see beyond the tip of his nose, who has lose the capacity of dream. She represents the world of routine, current conventions, prejudices and prefabricated ideas. That's real life wich devastates fantasy. That's reality, but some people ("Tony") thinks that there must be other realities. For him, "real life" is death.
iSCIFI. tv: Will we on Earth ever seen Tony return from his Journey (without spoiling what may be next for your production team)
Carlos: It's a warning: probably we will not. If we don't take conquest of space seriously maybe our fate will be to die like a plant trapped in a flowerpot too small. Let's ignore demagogic messages and don't waste time. Shoulders to the wheel!, infinite Space is our natural destination.
iSCIFI. tv: I loved the musical score! Was the music written while filming or in post?
Carlos: In post, of course. I love the music too. A 75% was made by Xavier Tort, a great musician from Barcelona, and a 25% by TMK (Thee Maldoror Kollective), a stunning band from Turin. TMK has edited their soundtrack pieces recently in a CD, called "Themes for Proxima". Xavi and TMK are really different but also complementary, and musical score is one of the best things in the movie.
ISCIFI. tv: How long did it take to film the Proxima?
Carlos: Two months filming and six months editing, mixing and making visual effects. It is an "indy blockbuster".
iSCIFI. tv: What project are you working on?
Carlos: I have just finished a short film, "Scream Queen". You'll can see it soon. It is not SciFi, just fantasy. But next year I want fo film an old project, my movie about British magician Aleister Crowley. I have been two years working on the screenplay, and I am finishing it now. It will be a very odd movie starred by Manuel Solàs ("Felix Cadecq" in "PROXIMA").
iSCIFI. tv: Thank you so much for your time and we wish you more success.
Carlos: Thank you, it has been a pleasure. Hope someday see you in "Proxima".
END
_ blip.tv promo _
flash media from blip.tvMore about Carlos can be found at the following web links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Atanes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Atanes
Myspace
http://www.welcometoproxima.com/ (main)
http://www.welcometoproxima.com/eng_principal.html (ENGLISH)
IMDB : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970187/