Film: Kraken Mare
Director: Francisco Garcia Mateos
Writer: Francisco Garcia Mateos
Actors: Aitana de Marcelo, Christina Kasumba, Paula Morales
Synopsis: In a future ruled by mutated tyrants, one girl dares to ignite rebellion on Saturn’s moon, Titan. Liah’s fight against an empire begins where Earth’s hope ended.
In a new Exclusive interview on Blazing Minds ahead of the Southend Film Festival, I got a chance to ask Director Francisco Garcia Mateos a few questions about his film ‘Kraken Mare’, which has been selected to play at the festival.
Kraken Mare will be playing at the Southend Film Festival on Sunday, 8th June at 5 pm as part of the Short Films From Spain.
Q. Your film ‘Kraken Mare’ has been selected to play at the Southend Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
It’s a simple short film, conceived as a first act for a “future” feature-length movie or series, with multiple intertwined plots and parallel narratives. There’s a grand story behind it, of which we only get small glimpses. However, in this case, we focused on achieving a believable image, photography, and atmosphere. I hope we’ve succeeded…
Q. How did the idea for the film come about, and what were your inspirations when writing the script?
I love science fiction. I watch every movie that exists, and even bad films have something to teach. I
was captivated by the idea of a feudal society made up of kingdoms scattered across a colonised solar system. From there, we began shaping and refining it until we were convinced. This short film is
just the beginning of a series of projects that, hopefully, will come to fruition.
Q. What were some of the influences for the look and style of the film?
Names like Ridley Scott or Denis Villeneuve are clear influences, but the list is endless. Every detail is an idea that stuck in our subconscious. But what influenced us the most was our island—Lanzarote.
A place that feels like another world in itself. It’s no coincidence that projects like Star Wars, Marvel,
or Apple TV’s Foundation have been filmed here.
Q. Were there any elements of the original script which were adapted during filming?
The script is something that’s always alive. Every detail that happens during filming shapes it. In this case, since we didn’t have professional actors, the personalities of the characters had to be adapted.
But the plot remained unaffected.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments whilst making the Film?
There were locations where our filming time was very limited. Pulling it off successfully in those moments was incredibly satisfying. Seeing the actors’ and crew’s faces during the preview moved me. You could see the pride in their expressions.
Q. Did you experience any issues whilst making the film?
So many! Hahaha. I wouldn’t know where to start. The wind in Lanzarote is always a problem, and the tight schedule we had. On one occasion, our camera broke, and we had to wait almost two months because we didn’t have the budget for another one. But now I look back on it all fondly.
Q. What do you hope people will take away from the film?
That it stays etched in their minds and makes them want to know more. That’s the purpose of this project.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are working on?
Always. We try to balance our work in the industry with our own projects.
Q. If someone is looking to get into filmmaking, what advice would you give them?
Stories live in our heads—in all of ours. But we need to learn how to.
Kraken Mare will be playing at the Southend Film Festival on Sunday, 8th June at 5 pm as part of the Short Films From Spain.
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You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for Kraken Mare 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!
