Film Name: Somnia
Director: Diego R. Aballe
Writers: Diego R. Aballe, Amanda Seijas
Starring: Toni Meler, Judit Costa
A photographer who lives in a roadside hotel secretly enters the rooms of new guests, every night, to
take pictures of them while they sleep. A film about the distance, the loss of human warmth and its
desperate search, the real and the imaginary, dehumanization and oblivion.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds leading up to the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival, I got a chance to ask Co-Writer/Director Diego R. Aballe a few questions about his film ‘Somnia’.
‘Somnia’ has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Friday 19th January at 15:00 pm
Q. Your film Somnia has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. A small dip in the stormy sea of a sick character’s psyche.
Q. You wrote the script with Amanda Seijas. What was the process for you working together on the script?
A. It was a simple process thanks to the generosity of my partner, solving the big questions together. It’s a short film without dialogue, and an emotional landscape, so it didn’t take us long to write it.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for Somnia?
A. In those days I had a hard time sleeping. I was in a new city, far from home, and my head was spinning. It was a difficult time but very satisfying on the other hand. I met some great friends, among them a war photographer. He helped me a lot in the whole process and I was inspired by his stories, his name is Guillem Valle.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I think the most direct and clear influence is the work of David Fincher, in particular Seven. A lot of that old school is present. Yorgos Lanthimos‘ films in general, as well as Tod Campbell’s photography in the Mr. Robot series, are also present from the storyboard.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Yes, of course. Practically everything was shot, but certain resources had to be discarded and a
couple of shots had to be corrected. We also shot a shot of opportunity. We only had two days to
shoot and it was a school project, so we adapted.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Filming is a great privilege and a special event. Everything is lived with intensity, as if it were the
last time. With Somnia, the pressure of the short time available didn’t help us to fully enjoy it. In any
case, I fondly remember the moments against the clock, with the photo team in trench mode in the
middle of a war.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. The mirror shot, where the actor is looking straight ahead, was tricky. He had to synchronise his
hand with the hand of the double, and at the same time he had to constantly fog up the glass, which
was crazy. It took us a long time to be satisfied and to sell it.
Q. What makes Somnia stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I don’t think it’s a typical horror short film, but a hybrid that plays with psychological and suspense. The expectations of what we think we are going to see are always worse than what we end up seeing.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. We each interpret what we see in a way that is unique and different from others. I hope they take
away even small fragments that suggest things to them.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I am currently in pre-production of a new short film entitled Monstera, which I will shoot in March
2024 in co-production with Alfonso Zarauza’s, Maruxiña film Company. It is a very exciting project
and a great challenge, a black comedy that draws from Damian Szyfrón’s Relatos salvajes.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Let him first try to tell little stories, let him get together with friends who will follow him to the
ends of the earth and never stop trying, no matter how complicated it may seem. Filmmaking is
resilience.
‘Somnia’ has been selected to plat at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Friday 19th January at 15:00pm
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets 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!
