FILM
SUNDANCE Film Festival | 2019
Lucía Garibaldi
Director
THE SHARKS
WORLD PREMIERE
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
January 28th - 21:00 - Egyptian Theatre Park City
Rosina ticks away the days of a restless summer in her sleepy beachside town until she sights an ominous dorsal fin on one of her habitual ocean swims. Though many are unsure whether her encounter was real, rumors of sharks spread and unsettle the town. Unperturbed by the panic, Rosina shifts her focus to her summer job and her enigmatic coworker, Joselo, who ignites in her an odd, conflicted attraction she hasn’t quite reckoned with before. When his affections start to wane—and with the shark still circling in her thoughts—Rosina resolves not to be easily dismissed.
Hey Lucía, thanks for talking to TNC, how is everything going?
Everything its ok, we’re thrilled to be here.
Are there any nerves ahead of the festival?
Im anxious but calm. I don’t know if it’s possible to feel those things at the same time but that’s what I`m experiencing, I think…
The Sharks is your debut feature making it's World Premiere at Sundance, does this add any extra pressure on you?
I’m not adding pressure on it, maybe because of lack of awareness. Itry to enjoy everything I can, to be very awake.
What does it mean to be nominated for the Grand Jury Prize?
It’s a a huge pride, a constant emotion. Being here is like a dream for us.
Tell me a little bit about The Sharks, how did the film come about?
The film is about a young girl growing up. It's about that particular moment. About doing things for the first time and about not understanding anything that happens around. All this happens and meanwhile, on a coast where sharks never existed, now, it would seem that there is.
What the inspiration behind your screenplay?
There was not a specific moment in which the idea of the film came to mind. There were sensations, conversations, small and loose ideas that came together, and they had in common the form of a character such as Rosina and what could her days be like.
"I made my shorts films as it was the way I found to learn and as a way for people know about my work..."
What was the most challenging part of making this film been?
Finish it, release it. It was the most difficult. Now comes the part of showing it, I have no idea on how it will feel.
How much has your approach to filmmaking changed since your debut short?
I never liked short films too much. I never said "oh, I’m dying to throw myself in bed to watch a short film" or "Shall we go to the movies to watch shorts?". I always had in mind that I wanted to do a feature film. I like to take my time, sit down and enter a story. I made my shorts films as it was the way I found to learn and as a way for people know about my work, but I don’t like them very much, I prefer THE SHARKS.
How would you describe The Sharks in three words?
Can I use 4? Smells like teen spirit.
Finally, what has been the best advice you've been given?
A colleague told me in my first week of shooting: "Filming against the script, editing against the filming" said Truffaut, and that it doesn’t rain on you.
I think it has to do with the idea of being open for the film to surprise you and as a director, make room for what you did not have planned.