Film Name: 7 Minutes In Paradise
Director: Victoria Avinyó
Writer: Chuso Puig
Starring: Cris Delgado, Carla Pascual, Chuso Puig
Game night. Alicia and Álvaro have to spend 7 minutes alone in a garden shed. Isolated. Everything seems idyllic until Candela abruptly arrives.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Director Victoria Avinyó a few questions about the film ‘7 Minutes In Paradise’, which will have its UK Premiere at Horror-on-Sea on Friday 16th January at 12:30hrs.
Q. Your film 7 Minutes In Paradise has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. 7 Minutes in Paradise is a surprising short film because it begins with adolescent innocence and
ends with adolescent harshness, the two sides of the same coin in an important stage of life.
Q. What first attracted you to the script which was written by Chuso Puig?
A. Precisely what attracted me most about Chuso’s script was the fragility of how, in a matter of minutes, the story changes without you expecting it. When I read it (in its theatrical version), it had a lot of rhythm, and I immediately imagined the characters on stage, and that’s when I told him that this should be a short film.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Carrie (1976), Scream (1996), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Stranger Things (2016),
Cerdita (2018, short film), Cerdita (2022).
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. During filming, everything happened very quickly and everyone was focused on their work. Perhaps the most exciting moment was seeing the three actors prepare to enter the shot with their emotions perfectly in check, going to extremes to convey the truth they were seeking.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. There were no problems during filming. Everything went quite well. On the day of the outdoor shoot, when only the cabin was being filmed, it started to rain, but only very lightly, so we covered the camera, filmed, and you can’t even tell from the footage. It could have rained more, but luckily the weather held out for the few hours we had.
Q. What makes 7 Minutes In Paradise stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. The difference is that it is also a social drama. Bullying is the backdrop to this short film, giving it a touch of teenage drama that in reality is truly horrific. Many young people suffer from this and we wanted to show a small part of it, demonstrating that violence only breeds more violence.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope that the public understands the scourge of bullying and that failing to help is also participating in that bullying. Preventing further violence is everyone’s responsibility.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes, I’m working on a couple of short film projects as a director, which I hope will be out soon.
7 Minutes In Paradise will be playing at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 17th January at 15:00hrs.
You can follow Director Victoria Avinyó and Dacsa Produccions on Instagram.
You can find out more about Horror-on-Sea and purchase tickets the 7 Minutes In Paradise here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
