10 · 24 · 17

Sinvivir, by Anaïs Pareto Onghena, was presented at the 15th FICM

Marco Antonio Mejía

Sinvivir, by Anaïs Pareto Onghena, was presented in a press screening in the morning as part of the Mexican Feature Film Competition during the fifteenth edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

The plot unfolds around Jairo, who sees his intimacy invaded when Hugo, a friend who lives temporarily with him, brings his cousin Moi, who has attempted suicide, to the house. This coexistence will make them understand the meaning or meaninglessness of life.

In a press conference, Anaïs Pareto Onghena explained that the idea of telling a story of depression and suicide was motivated by the desire to share the love of life.

"The idea was to look for three characters who, for whatever reason, were lacking something in life. There is no personal approach to suicide, I wanted to make an ode to life to say that even if someone is screwed or something does not work, there will always be something we can hold on to. "

Regarding the concept of male vulnerability that is reflected in the three main characters, the filmmaker indicated that it was never her intention to focus on it.

"When I started making the film, I wasn't interested in showing the fragility of men or the strength of women. What did happen was that the story was nurtured by who I am and because, in a way, I have always been in contact with the male gender."

The actor Horacio García-Rojas talked about the foundations of the construction of his character, explaining that through history he could understand more about the depression his father suffers.

"My father has been depressed for three or four years. Sometimes he has good days, others are bad and others I do not know how to help him out of it. The hardest part was not wanting to use my dad as an example, but it helped me get into his shoes and understand him more, thanks to Anaïs' help."

In the afternoon, there was a gala screening of Sinvivir, in which Anaïs Pareto Onghena talked about the purpose of having used the word "feminazi" with one of her characters.

"I do not agree with this term being used and we knew that there are many people who talk like this. I know it is a sensitive word but in the script, we look for the truthfulness and authenticity of each dialogue."

Actor Pedro Hernández anecdotally reported how the director got the score from the Morelian Axel Catalán: "A friend of Anaïs wrote asking her to participate in a video as an actress and she accepted despite feeling dread. Then she heard the song by Axel Catalán. She wanted to meet the musician and they got along well. In the end, he composed the score for the film".

Anaïs Pareto Onghena obtained the highest degree with a specialization in Direction at the Superior School of Cinema and Audiovisuals of Catalonia (ESCAC) and a master's degree in Visual Anthropology at the University of Barcelona (UB). She participated in the 9th (FICM) with Crocodile Boots (2011). Her short film The Sidewalk (2013) won the Best Short Film Award at the 11th FICM and Best Actor at the 8th Short Shorts Film Festival Mexico (SSFFM). Her short fiction, The Hernández Cruz Family (2016), was part of the Official Selection of the 14th FICM.

Sinvivir will be screened again on October 25th in theatre 2 of Cinépolis Las Américas at 6:00 p.m.