Giselle Geney’s new short 3 FEET focuses on the simple trials and tribulations of a young boy whose desire to play football is overshadowed by the daily inspection of his shoes which could lead to him losing his most prized possession.
Film And TV Now spoke with the director, as she reflected on the film.
FILM AND TV NOW: You dedicate the film to ‘Pamplona’ and ‘a happy childhood’ at the end of the short. Tell us more about this reflection in your eyes.
GISELLE GENEY: Pamplona is the small town where I have the happiest memories of my childhood; I lived in a bigger-busier city, and during summer vacations, I was sent there to spend time with my uncles and my cousins. It was paradise.
I could be whoever I wanted to be. Play football with my cousins (I’ve always been a football lover); climb trees; wander in the streets with no cars around or adults in sight; and, also, spend quality time with my family.
I had the most amazing childhood and this story was born thanks to all those memories: it was inspired by it, and then consolidated thanks to the love of my family and the people from Pamplona.
FTVN: It is always interesting to see how children are disciplined in different cultures. What was the start-off point for the short?
GG: Children solve a lot of problems on their own during school time! They are so independent and resilient! so, that called me back to my own childhood and I remembered one of the biggest challenges for me while growing up: being a playful, energetic and creative girl while trying to keep my school uniform tidy (A challenge I could not achieve 99% of the time).
In Colombia, uniform policy is still very strict in most schools, so, as the rebel I am, I made the film I always wanted to see on the screen as a girl: a child getting away from punishment during the school uniform inspection.
FTVN: Tell us about your cast.
GG: We’re very proud of our amazing cast because… they had NEVER acted before in their lives! they are all natives from Pamplona. I was really looking to portray my region accurately by using a very naturalistic type of acting.
We did a workshop for 4 months with all the cast involved in the film. The lead character, Gonzalo, was selected during the children’s acting workshop. His name is Santiago Capacho, he was 10 years old at the time, and it’s one of the most dedicated and imaginative actors that I have had the pleasure of working with in my life.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
GG: Our executive producer, Natalia Bernal who is also my partner in “Pescadito Films”, is very experienced in creating high-quality children films (both as producer and as a director).
Cinematographer, Andrés Arizmendy, has had his work shown at some of the most prestigious short film festivals in the world, such as Clermont Ferrand, Cannes, and Chicago.
Production designer, Mónica Camacho has been art coordinator for feature films, tv series and many other massive audiovisual projects.
Sound designer, Andrés Montaña, was part of the first Colombian team that won The “Palme d’Or” for best short film at Cannes Film Festival.
Paraguayan musician, Fran Villalba, is the composer of the multi-awarded feature film “7 boxes” (7 cajas), and the Costa-Rican film “Selva” premiered at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes Film Festival.
FTVN: Where did you shoot and for how long?
GG: We shot in Pamplona, a very ancient town located in the north region of Colombia, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Andes.
The actual shooting took 5 days: 1 day for the animation scene and 4 days for all the live actions scenes. We travelled throughout the whole geography of the town, from the top of one mountain to another, passing by the main square with its signature cathedral, the vivacious market place (constructed in a previous old Jesuit building from the XVII century), and the school premises, surrounded by nature and farm animals.
FTVN: How did you raise finance for the short?
GG: It was a mixed funding: private and public funding, but also, a personal investment. We were the first short film in the region to ever win a grant by the Colombian Film Commission.
Then, private companies from Pamplona also helped us out making it happen. Technical equipment was provided by our co-producers: Cinemazul; and Field production was provided by “Frontera Films”.
FTVN: You use a mix of live-action and animation in 3 FEET. Tell us about your animation team and the style that you use.
GG: The animation team was led by Colombian animator Nicolás Guarín, while he was receiving his masters degree in visual arts in Japan. We are admirers of Japanese animation and watch lots of it when we were kids in Colombia, so we decided to go with a style that pays homage to it.
We also decided to go with a hand-drawn rotoscope animation because I was interested in keeping the architecture and the beautiful features of the people in it, while giving the story space to dive into Gonzalo’s imagination. It took Nicolás and his team over 3000 hand-digitally made drawings, so it was a huge accomplishment!
FTVN: Tell us about your relationship with Cinematographer Andres Arizmendy Benavides.
GG: We’ve known each other for a long time: He’s a very talented – hands on cinematographer, and that’s one of the things I like the most about him.
We’re both influenced by the natural lightning of the French new wave, a documentary-like camera, and, most importantly, respecting the children’s point of view. To get the best from children actors, you have to be always on the look, get the right take at the right time… it requires lots of focus, and that’s just how he works naturally.
FTVN: What issues and themes are you keen to explore in future work?
GG: I’m very keen to keep on exploring children’s universes by collaborating with them on creating honest and powerful live action films: it’s the best job in the world!.
Colombia’s countryside is also the landscape where I love to set my stories: it’s so diverse, important and beautiful. I’m also very interested in exploring Latin-American unifying roots (family values, passion and resilience), and the relation between popular music and film.
Music has been a saviour for me, so I want to pay homage to it in my feature film. Last, I’m also very much looking forward to exploring an in-depth modern girl’s point of view in the new live-action documentary series we’re developing with our company Pescadito Films.
We have realized how important representation is in film, so we want to put girls front and centre, in the most honest and powerful way we can as female film-makers.
FTVN: You are co-writing your first live-action children’s feature film called Diego, The Singer alongside the Colombian scriptwriter Johnnier Aristizábal and is also developing the live-action sport documentary children series Poderosas (Powerful Girls). Could you tell us a bit more about these and when can we expect to see them in production and release?
GG: “Diego, The Singer” is a story where children’s autonomy and resilience is also the core of the film.
It is set in Colombia’s countryside and it’s a hybrid between a musical and a drama, that taps into our Latin-American roots. It’s not about fame or success, but how to be happy sharing art with the people you love the most: your family.
With this script, co-written with Johnnier Aristizábal, we are also exploring an amazing co-lead: a female trickster, living in the most chauvinistic society you could imagine (a small religious town), who will become Diego’s teacher and apprentice both in life and art. We are in the development stage, and we expect it to be released in 2023.
“Powerful Girls” is a project very close to our hearts.
It’s a documentary series to feel inspired by the strength, courage and passion of young girls that practice sports, as well as the big challenges they have conquered in their path, not necessarily related to competition, but to intimate-personal victories.
This will be a co-directed project between Natalia and myself, and we expect it to be shot and released by the end of next year 2021.
FTVN: How has COVID-19 affected your development and evolution as a film-maker?
GG: I’m a firm believer that difficulties only make you stronger, and that they are a boost for creativity (even this harsh time we are all dealing with during this pandemic).
I’m a young female director from Colombia, it has not been easy, but I have always seen potential in restrictions. For example, I love doing field work (research, casting, rehearsals) and the human connection that comes out of it, but this year I managed to do many of those things through a computer while still experiencing a meaningful connection. I feel so lucky because of it. It changed my perspective.
I’m very hands-on, and this year has been the peak of learning: how to work with archive footage, get to know new ways of storytelling through editing and technology. So, definitely I have learnt a lot about how to create films with fewer resources. COVID-19 has changed us all, but for me it has confirmed that humanity cannot live without art.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about 3 FEET?
GG: I’m so proud that we were able to share a small part of our Colombian culture and that it connected with audiences all around the world.
We have had an amazing run at film festivals: over 40 official selections, 13 awards and we have been shown in every continent multiple times, while getting the most delightful reactions from the audience.
So, I’m proud to believe that our film leads to a better understanding of children’s resilience and autonomy; 3 FEET allows the audience to have an honest glimpse of how children manage so well in their everyday lives, and that’s the most satisfactory outcome for me.
