PRIDE ARCHIVE
Interview
Marco Leao
& André Santos
Pedro
Originally published during BFI Flare 2016
Pedro gets home at dawn. Before the young boy falls asleep, his lonely mother drags him to the beach.
Hey guys, thanks for talking to The New Current, how's things been?
Things have been pretty busy as we're writing our first feature film script, developing a feature length documentary set in Aokigahara forest in Japan and we're about to shoot a new short-film.
Congratulations on having Pedro selected for this years BFI Flare how does it feel to have your film part of BFI Flare?
BFI Flare comes in a hand of another great film festivals that have also screened PEDRO. We are always happy to be able to show our films to new audiences around the world.
The reaction to the film has been incredible, did you ever expect your short to have gained this type of reaction?
We are always hoping for amazing reactions to our films but at the same time we know that one can not fulfil everyone's expectations. So it's always amazing to get great feedback from what we put out.
Do you still get nervous when you're screening your film for festival audiences?
The first public screening is always the most nerve wrecking. When you see your film, with an audience, several times you start to relax and enjoy it more.
Tell me a little bit about Pedro what was the inspiration behind the film?
A friend of ours told us that, one morning after a wild night out, his mother dragged him to spend a day at the beach. Our films are always a collection of experiences, our own and of others close to us. So Pedro has a biographical touch to it.
What would you say the most challenging scene for you to film was?
As silly as it seems, the most challenging scenes were some transition scenes at the beach as while we were shooting, there were some really crazy wind gusts that made it almost impossible to shoot. Regarding other scenes that would seem difficult to shoot, luckily we had an amazing cast and crew that made it all go very smoothly.
"...we'd like the audience to feel our film rather than dissecting it."
Looking back would there be anything you'd do differently?
The circumstances dictate the way you act. As a filmmaker, you keep growing up and facing the World through different perspectives. So eventually there would be a different approach to certain things.
Have you always wanted to be a filmmaker?
We always wanted to be filmmakers and can't think of anything else that would give us so much fulfilment.
What was the first film you both worked on together?
Our first short-film was "Our necessity for comfort" and it was a brief reflection about time and life seen through two moments of our mother’s lives. Up to this moment we have co-directed 6 short-films.
How much has your approach to filmmaking changed since your debut short?
We still chase the same ghosts but in a different manner.
What would you say has been the best advice you've been given?
"Don't take yourselves too seriously!"
For any new director out there what advice would you offer to them?
We would offer the same advice that was given to us and in addiction, we'd say for you to work hard and to focus on what you really love.
And finally what do you hope people will take away from your film?
Preferably we'd like the audience to feel our film rather than dissecting it.