Nacho Cerda carved a name
for himself a few years ago with an absolutely terrifying film
called Aftermath. It’s been quite some time since and the
wait is well worth it. In his new film, The Abandoned, Nacho
establishes the fact that he is not a one hit wonder. His film was
part of the 8 Films to Die For and will be getting a national
rollout in January. I recently had the opportunity of asking Nacho
a few questions.
Jack
Reher: Nacho, my hats off to you for creating The Abandoned.
It truly is a horrifyingly visceral film. There has been quite a
gap between Aftermath and The Abandoned. What was the initial
inspiration for this film?
Nacho
Cerda: Thanks a lot Jack. To make a long story short,
The Abandoned came from an original script that Karim Hussain wrote
back in 99 called The Bleeding Compass. We had met at Fantasia and
became good friends, so he asked me for feedback on it. The
doppelganger and the Russian elements were both very original and
quite intriguing; it was a sort of Tarkosvsky approach to horror
which really captured my interest. His story evoked such strong
images that I couldn’t get them out my mind so I suggested him the
possibility of taking it to Filmax since I had a first look deal
there as director. Back then, Karim and I had been working for a
long time on another project called Oblivion which fell through, so
that was the perfect time to bring his script back. I felt that most
of its themes involving destiny, identity and ultimately death were
actually issues that I developed in my previous shorts as well, so
it was very personal to me. Our excitement was enormous when they
green lit the film almost immediately.
JR:
The cinematography and texture of the film was mesmerizing.
Can you tell The Horror Review a little about the production choices
you made?
NC:
Working with my friend Xavi Giménez was an extreme pleasure. His
cinematography in Genesis totally blew me away so we always toyed
with the idea of joining forces again on my first feature. When the
time came, he’d already shot a bunch of outstanding films like The
Machinist or The Nameless so I was twice as excited. At first, I
wanted a very raw approach in 16 mm, a bit like the 70’s because
that sort of organic camera work would add a sense of dread. It was
also the issue of getting away from my previous visuals which used
extremely detailed framing and camera moves. The last thing I wanted
for this film was to feel static and mechanical, so hand held was
always considered from day one. However, when we went on location
scouting, we realized that the Bulgarian landscape (which makes for
Russia) was so overwhelming that our compositions would work better
in super 35mm. A sense of isolation played a central part in the
story so the 2,35 aspect ratio was perfect to isolate the main
character even more within the frame. I then realized that the film
should start very nicely lit and visually familiar as we follow
Marie unravel her past, but as the story becomes more dreamy, I
would bring that rawness to the camera work to the point of
deconstructing reality, altering time and space, just like Marie’s
world. By the end we would go back to nice and smooth visuals to
come full circle just like the story does itself. We also went for a
bit of a dirty look, with lots of greens and yellows, similar to
some Russian films. In fact, when we were digitally timing the
picture, we pushed the contrast and color so much that it really
became a visual nightmare, but the executives turned it down after
considering it too risky.
JR:
I noticed that you and Karim Hussain had previously written together
on Ataudes de luz. Can you talk about the writing process for this
film?
NC:
“Coffin of Light” (its English title) was a documentary that
began in 99 as part of the San Sebastian horror film festival. They
wanted me to direct a short based on that year’s edition which
featured such amazing guests as Paul Naschy, Ibañez Serrador and
Jess Franco. Apparently, these guys were all involved with a very
obscure cinematographer called Sergio Del Monte who died
mysteriously during the making of his directorial debut. Legend has
it that his unfinished film used lighting techniques that were
extremely harmful to the human brain; so much that it caused death
to the very few that saw it. Karim and I found this story
fascinating and began our research, interviewing these directors who
enlightened our path. I soon realized this project was heading to a
feature length documentary which was also a recollection of that
glorious period of Spanish cinema. I worked off and on until this
day, and now that it’s almost finished we plan on releasing it later
this year.
JR:
I truly loved the tracking shot of Anastasia Hille
when she ran from the hole in the floor, to the room, then
back again. This reminded me of classic De Palma and Orson Welles.
Do you want to talk about this scene?
NC:
It was there since I began storyboarding the film and it really
meant a big challenge for my crew. This shot visually summarized the
whole story which is the realization for Marie that life was not
what it seemed. She had constructed a fiction around her that now
was falling apart as the truth unfolded. It was very important to
make it seem as a continuous shot but it is actually a combination
of two different ones. First, the hole needed to collapse
mechanically using a little explosive as the stunt man stepped on
it. As everyone knows, getting a shot sometimes requires a few
takes, so the fake hole had a lid that would go back up for each
take. However, once closed, you could still see the edges on the
floor around it so the construction crew had to place dirt and hide
it from sight. This took a few minutes so we couldn’t really use
this device for when she returns to rescue Nikolai in just one shot.
It needed two. So for the second half of the scene, the set had to
be replaced with a new floorboard that was rock solid, other ways
the trick would’ve been obvious to everyone. In other words, once we
got the first half of the scene in the can, we stopped for about two
hours while the crew dressed up the new floorboard. The challenge
was actually creating a transition between the two shots that would
be invisible to the eye. At first we spoke with our CGI people to
figure out a digital morphing, but funny enough, it ended up being a
much simpler trick. During postproduction, my editor found a single
frame that matched exactly both shots. It was totally unbelievable.
The frenzy motion of the camera also helped create the illusion, but
it is a straight cut, as simple as that. Once the dvd comes out, you
can track the shot frame by frame and you still won’t see it.
Needless to say, production saved a lot of money…
JR:
Who and what are some of your favorite directors and films within
the horror genre?
NC:
The very first film that injected horror in my veins was
Spielberg’s Jaws. I was 6 at the time and the experience kicked my
ass. It was thanks to my uncle who actually sneaked me into the
neighborhood theater. My family used to rent some cheap horror
flicks on Super 8 like Jess Franco’s Frankestein and Naschy’s Horror
Rises from the Tomb which by the way I couldn’t get past the third
reel, no kidding!! Those films were rated R so theater presentation
was not an option for me. When home video spread out, I started
discovering a whole new universe of filmmakers like Cronenberg,
Carpenter, Hooper, Craven…not to mention all those extremely gore
Italian movies from Argento, Fulci, Bava... It was a total feast for
me and my friends who would come up and watch movies for the whole
evening. When The Evil Dead was released, I rented it on VHS and
screened it every Friday night for different people. I enjoyed
sensing their fear and excitement… which I guess ended up being the
reason why I make films: pushing audiences into some sort of
emotional rollercoaster.
JR:
American cinema (I cannot help but snicker when I say that and think
of Eli Roth’s upcoming Hostel: Part 2 and the German voiceover) what
is your overall opinion of the horror films coming from the United
States?
NC:
I grew up on most of these movies so I owe a lot to them.
They really taught me how to put two shots together! Times have
changed, of course, and sometimes I miss that old transgression from
the 70’s. I think some preconceived formulas today are running on
empty and people might be plugging away soon. I personally need a
wave of fresh air, as a horror fan I often find myself in video
stores buying old classics instead of catching the weekend releases…
and this doesn’t feel quite right.
JR:
What are your thoughts of the group of filmmakers recently dubbed
the Splat Pack?
NC:
It’s another proof of the industry’s obsession in packaging
everything, giving it a name so it’s labeled and marketed properly.
Rob Zombie has no remote resemblance to what Alex Aja does, or Neil
Marshal for that matter. I don’t believe that these filmmakers share
anything except their enthusiasm for what they do. This whole thing
just sounds like a formula to keep selling us product. Does anyone
really think these movies are just about blood and gore? Are these
directors’ talents questioned beyond this type of cinema? Is this
maybe trying to put limits to filmmakers? I would be extremely
careful in doing it, look at Peter Jackson or Sam Raimi and you’ll
see what I mean.
JR:
Now that we’re on the subject of American cinema (even though most
horror films are now shot in Bulgaria, Romania, Australia…) who are
the standout directors that you truly admire and why?
NC:
I admire the integrity of David Cronenberg who’s never really
fallen out of his way in making a strong statement. His vision is
totally unique and it has even created a whole new philosophy behind
his work. His approach to complex themes with utmost simplicity is
brilliant, only compared to Kubrick and Lynch who’s films have
become a conceptualization of reality. I strongly believe that
cinema needs to find a new narrative. By having more FX, more plot
twists, more action, visuals, etc. we are doomed to fail. In a world
so logic and well connected as it is today, I feel that simplicity
could be far scarier than anything else. I remember the brilliant
ending of Escape from L.A. where the entire world just plugs away
and then “Snake Plisken” lights up a cigarette; it’s the perfect
metaphor. Maybe we should just go back to our roots and start from
scratch.
JR:
As a child growing up in Spain, what was the first horror film you
saw?
NC:
Apart from Jaws, there was another one called The Legend of
Hell House, based on a Richard Matheson novel. This one scared me so
much that it gave me a hang over for ghost stories, not to mention
The Exorcist which was re-released in Spain in the early 80’s. Being
a Catholic there’s nothing more terrifying than the supernatural.
JR:
Guillermo del Toro has been embraced as a visionary and I’d liken
The Abandoned and your directing ability to his level of talent.
For the first time since laying eyes on Cronos and The Devil’s
Backbone, I am once again extremely excited to see this film roll
out here this Friday, November 17th then again as a
nationwide release in January. How do you think the United States
will respond to your work?
NC:
It´s always unpredictable. My short films are very popular in
the States and quite honestly, it’s been thanks to American
audiences that my work is now respected in Europe. My approach to
horror doesn’t really step on familiar ground; I mean it doesn’t
follow the conventions of the genre which is why most people never
considered Aftermath a gore feast. In these movies, there’s a
subtext often more subversive that the images themselves. I believe
that your own input and personality is vital in bringing freshness
to a film, other ways it becomes a rather dull experience. So I hope
The Abandoned will be perceived on the same level as a personal
study on fear and human nature, a movie that doesn’t necessarily
follow a conventional storytelling. As a filmmaker, I like pushing
the envelope, and this one will definitely keep indifference out of
the equation.
JR:
What is your perception of Uwe Boll and who would win a boxing match
between the two of you?
NC:
I would just call in sick and not show up. Although it might
seem necessary from an industry standpoint, being competitive in
this job makes your films lose spontaneity and get worse.
JR:
When you were young, what terrified you?
NC:
Death. It’s so irrational. That’s why I shitted in my pants
the first time I saw a zombie flick on TV called The Manchester
Morgue. I remember going to bed that night and being totally
sleepless. That damned Jorge Grau! Walking corpses are frightening…
it’s that sort of horror that I fear the most, the one from within
the human being.
JR:
Projects of the future, what are you going to give audiences
worldwide?
NC:
There’s a script called Oblivion which I wrote with Karim a
while back. It’s an apocalyptic tale about immortality, set in a
near future. Also, I’ve got two book adaptations in mind but I can’t
say much yet. Whatever comes next, it will definitely come from the
heart.
JR: Thank you so much for your time.
Once again, excellent work on this film and I hope that we can chat
again in the future.
NC:
Thanks to you Jack and all audiences out there that make it possible
for us to be here!
- Jack Reher
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