Film Name: Voice Academy
Director: Javier San Miguel
Writer: Javier San Miguel
Starring: Mohammed Benazza, Astrid Gallo, Pauline Nadoulek
Overnight, as if by magic, a soldier wakes up with a new voice: childish, high-pitched, it strangely resembles the voice of a kawaii anime. His descent into hell has just begun.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got the chance to ask Writer-Director Javier San Miguel a few questions about his film Voice Academy, which will have its UK Premiere at The Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Friday 23rdJanuary at 17:30hrs.
Q. Your film Voice Academy has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. The premise of Voice Academy is simple: what happens when a burly military man wakes up with the voice of a kawaii anime girl? Brace yourself for a bold mix of ridiculous situations with masks, high-pitched kawaii voices, body horror, hints of hentai, and some unorthodox speech therapy.
At the center of Voice Academy lies a fantastical narrative that invites reflection on identity and masculinity.
Q. What were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. As a screenwriter, for me the process always starts with an image. From there, I begin building the narrative. In the case of Voice Academy, everything started with the scene in which the main character is dubbing this “anime.” Then, I started thinking: ok, how can this go even more wrong?
Q. Did you have any of the cast in mind for the characters when writing the script?
A. With the main character, the military man, it was important to emphasize a sense of contrast between his muscular, well-built, “stereotypical” masculinity and the new voice he wakes up with. Finding Mohammed for the main role was key to making this contrast believable.
We were extremely lucky to work with such a talented cast on this project. In the three main roles, Mohammed, Astrid, and Pauline play a very subtle and delicate game: portraying such surreal situations from a dramatic perspective is a difficult challenge.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I think that when writing, while being subconscious, deciding on stylistic influences is a bit difficult for me. Once the film was finished, it became easier for me to identify the patterns.
Playing a bit of the Letterboxd game, if I had to name four films that match its look and style, I would mention:
The Lobster (2015) by Yorgos Lanthimos. There is a contrast between the surreal and the dramatic that plays on the same level and influences the kind of tone the audience will face.
Secondly, films showing a masculinity crisis, while scarce, were strong influences for me. “Tourist / Force Majeure (2014) by Ruben Östlund and Dogville (2003) by Lars von Trier are key references. The first one is right on point in showing its fragility and how desperate men try to cling to it. The latter presents a grotesque display of men from different backgrounds, showing the worst of themselves.
Finally, stylistically, I have always loved classic Hollywood melodramas. The opening and closing are clearly inspired by Douglas Sirk’s stylish credits, for example, Imitation of Life (1959).
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. More than changes during filming, there were scenes cut during editing. In the original script, the voice revelation happened earlier, while the character was still at home. We thought it could be more interesting to discover his change at the same time his partner discovers it.
Also, an interlude with two new characters who find some of the military man’s belongings in a waste container was cut.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. It was quite stressful, to be honest. We shot the entire short film in three days, recycling locations and dealing with several big moves. The very dedicated crew made it possible.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. There were some external locations we planned to shoot near a religious center. Two characters wearing strange masks close to the temple raised concerns with the security staff, so we relocated everything to a park.
Also, one of the character’s masks we ordered in advance (called Darth Vader in the script) did not arrive on time, so the art designer had to build it from scratch during shooting.
Q. What makes Voice Academy stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I want to believe that the idea feels fresh to the audience. That is what drives me as a viewer, and I want people to feel the same way.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. The combination of the surreal and the dramatic can lead the audience to guilty laughter. That tension interests me. I often get very polarised feedback on the genre of the short. I am curious about how people interpret it.
I also want the audience to resonate with its discourse on identity. What does it mean to be masculine? Voice Academy was born from that question, and now it passes it on to the audience.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A.Yes, quite a few… In January, I will be shooting a fiction-documentary about education in Sahrawi refugee camps.
Returning to horror and fantasy, there is also a short-to-feature project set in Japan, focused on European tourism there. Along the same lines, I am developing 2 projects in France / Spain, both in the same vein as Voice Academy.
Voice Academy itself was originally conceived as a feature, so at some point, I hope to bring that version to life.
I also wear multiple hats. I work as a screenwriter, director, and producer, so if you like Voice Academy, don’t hesitate to reach out for collaborations. (@javiersmstory)
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Challenge yourself as a writer first. Ask yourself: am I good at this? If you feel you need support, find a colleague who is skilled in writing. A good screenplay along with a vision is a key differentiator in early career.
Then, find a good group of people. That is the most important thing. Cinema is about collaboration.
Voice Academy will have its UK Premiere at The Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Friday 23rdJanuary at 17:30hrs.
You can find out more about Voice Academy and purchase tickets for the film 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!
