MUGGED
“Mugged” is a project about a 1-minute, live-action film, with stop-motion and animation elements/approaches.
In a fanciful way, philosophical questions are raised by the “White Mug”, which is “imprisoned” in a cupboard, waiting for someone to use it. “White Mug” tries to understand the human environment. It concentrates on the way a person chooses one mug over another, something that raises jealousy and beggary. The objective of the main character (White Mug) towards the other mugs becomes vengeful. The major opponent becomes the “Enemy Mug”, a customized and fancy mug.
In a fanciful way, philosophical questions are raised by the “White Mug”, which is “imprisoned” in a cupboard, waiting for someone to use it. “White Mug” tries to understand the human environment. It concentrates on the way a person chooses one mug over another, something that raises jealousy and beggary. The objective of the main character (White Mug) towards the other mugs becomes vengeful. The major opponent becomes the “Enemy Mug”, a customized and fancy mug.
This project is full of contradictory elements. From a cheerful and creepy aspect, to a darker and deeply meaningful ideas. The philosophical and psychological aspect of the project would be obvious. Through an imaginary aspect, the themes of life purpose, revenge and the significance of materialism, come to the surface. The pointless passing of time and the loneliness that the main character experiences are some of the fundamental subjects that can derive from the project and are being analyzed through the Mug’s monologue, and also through the whole atmosphere that is being created. The structure of film has a strong climax. It starts from wondering and continuous to jealousy and finally revenge, but at the same a sentiment of regret and remorse.
Since the intention was to give a darker and mysterious sense on the film, the paintings ideas would derive from the Baroque period, and especially Caravaggio’s works of art, which capture that atmospheric feeling and obscure element. Classical art by Brueghel, Hieronim Bosch, and later, Caspar Friedrich, Expressionist movement, Pre-Raphaelite art, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, Comic Art and mostly Anime and Manga, and undoubtedly Tim Burton’s gothic and creepy art would be some other main inspirations. The main intention was to create the expressions of the main “mug” character, which would be inspired by Anime and Manga and Tim Burton’s peculiar and distinctive figures.
MEMORIES & SKETCHES
It's a 3-mins coming-of-age film, prooving the bittersweet feeling of family relations, as well as the sensitivity of adolescence.
THE VENEZUELA EFFECT
I have been intrigued by the development of a project about Venezuela, since the summer of 2018, after reading an article of the NYT. The cruelty and brutality of the facts and the whole situation, bemused me. I knew I wanted to make a film, which would present socio-political issues and bring up fundamental matters of our time.
It is very hard to make a film about a culture you've never known. It is very difficult to learn about it on very short time and prove to others that you truly know about it. However, we learn during the process and it certainly is a very good lesson on how demanding and complicated a matter can be. Almost everything about this project started in a different direction, probably an over ambitious one. Though, very low budget and limited time, evidently create trespaseses on the initial vision. I had the chance to work with talented and dedicated people on this project, as all the other projects I've worked on, who shared the same vision and determination.
The story:
It follows a Venezuelan refugee, Mariano, who comes to a new and unknown country (Scotland), while trying to find a better future. Soon, he meets a passionate arts reporter, Reggie, who wants to expand his writing to more sensitive matters of politics and society. He is fascinated by Mariano’s testimonies of the inhuman conditions that millions of people have faced for many years in Venezuela. Together, they try to tell that story honestly and accurately.
