06 · 17 · 07

“FICM is like a catapult,” Elisa Miller, winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes

Clara Sánchez

[imagen]By Clara Sánchez/Translator Paulina Suárez.

Elisa Miller is just 25 years old and still goes to film school. However, her third short film, Ver llover, received the Best Short Award at the FICM in 2006 and the film industry’s most coveted prize: the Palme D’Or at Cannes.

Miller attended the Huesca International Film Festival (7-16 July) after Cannes, where Ver llover screened in competition. Miller, who also worked as the short film’s casting and art director, spoke about her experiences, how she left philosophy for a career in film, and the Spanish film festival.

Why made you study film?
I wanted to tell stories. I was a late beginner, though. I began studying philosophy in France, and then decided that I wanted to go into film. All of a sudden, I had the urge to tell a story. I came back to Mexico, applied for the CCC (The Center for Cinematographic Studies) and got in.

How did film school prepare you for Morelia, Cannes and Huesca?
Film schools in Mexico are like seedbeds: they give you enough freedom to try things or to find your own voice, but its just as important to live, to go through experiences, adventures, to let yourself feel and be alive.

Up until now, you have worked as a short film director. What role do shorts play in Mexico’s film industry?
They are like a platform that allow you to explore your own voice, or a gamble we should place all our bets on...which is exactly what the Morelia Film Fest does.

[imagen]
From Morelia to Huesca via Cannes…
What was the FICM like for you?
The FICM was like a catapult, a launching pad. Apart from the wonderful attention I received and, of course, the prize, The FICM was very important in my education. I remember the day I received the award... I was just standing there on stage holding the award and the check without saying a word.... I have since learned to speak in public, for instance. But I must insist on the image of the catapult, which propelled me all the way here.

What about Cannes?
Cannes represents the end of a journey that began in Morelia... every step of the way felt like a dream, as if every day I was receiving a small piece of the prize; and for me the prize was just being able to be there, to watch movies, to meet directors, photographers, and actors I admire. Every day there was something new; I smiled the whole way through. Watching my film at the Debussy Theater at the Palais, along with ten other excellent shorts was really exciting. Getting the Palme D’Or is the part of the dream I still can’t believe, though it’s a great ending! A golden ending!

How were Mexican film perceived at Cannes?
It was very exciting to be at the Lumiere Theater, which was packed with 2000 people, watching Carlos Reygadas’ Luz silenciosa; Alexis Zabe’s photography was so sensitive and beautiful ... (the film) was edited by Natalia López, my friend and colleague, who also edited Gustavo Gamou’s Palomilla Salvaje (Best Documentary Film, FICM 06)...I felt very proud to share that moment with them, clapping and giving all my support. I was also moved and overjoyed to see Ernesto Contreras’ Párpados Azules and Iván Ávila’s La Sangre Iluminada. This is a great moment for Mexican films; it’s really exciting to be part of it all.

What was Huesca like?
Huesca was really nice because I got to meet a lot young filmmakers who share my interests, mostly from Latin America, and it was great just to talk to them, share ideas, projects or offer support.

What’s it been like to meet directors form all over the world?
It’s very stimulating to mee