Synopsis
Ignacio must move from Puerto Rico to the continental US; this means leaving his best friends behind. Heading Nowhere, presents us with a compassionate point of view of the desolated world of contemporary Puerto Rican youth in a country without hope.
| A Ningún Lado still frames
I imagine that in any lifetime, there are experiences that can only be described as unforgettable. Experiences that stand as a marker of sorts–to keep the one who went through the experience grounded and mindful. Working on this film, short and obscure as it may be, is one of those experiences for me.
A Ningún Lado was my first and only collaboration (so far) with writer/director, Guillermo Vazquez. Our partnership was borne from our mutual affinity for a certain aesthetic–an appreciation of the mundane. At least that's the way I see it.
On its surface, the film simply follows a group of friends as they spend a day together in Puerto Rico. Below the surface, it's teeming with subtext that likely goes unnoticed by most viewers, but that's ok.
We filmed over the course of a week in suburban San Juan with an intimate cast and crew, and little more than a camera and a couple of small lights.
Filming began while I was still recovering from a serious back injury. I'd herniated two discs in my lower back and it was only thanks to my prescribed Vicodin doses that I managed to make it through our shoot days. To make things more difficult, the film was shot almost entirely handheld, sometimes walking long distances over rough terrain. It was a true labor of love on the part of everyone involved.
By today's standards, the film has a noticeably lo-fi look, which I think works quite well. We filmed on a Canon 60D–a camera of modest means even for its time–using a hodgepodge of vintage stills lenses.
It's a film that I like to point to as an example of how having the newest fanciest gear doesn't really factor in much as to how the finished film will come out. To me, it's all about the mood, tone, and soul of a picture that captivates those who see it.
If you like vague, meandering, and minimal stories, this film might be for you. Even if it turns out not to be, it's short, and has a beauty to it that's hard to put into words.
A Ningún Lado is available to watch right here, right now, by simply clicking the play button below. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, and I have many more war stories about this production that I'll gladly share with anyone who's interested to hear them.
Cast
Iván Acosta – "Arturo"
Miladys Adorno – "Lara"
Ricardo Arias – "Ignacio"
Key Crew
Guillermo Vazquez – Writer, Director, Co-Editor
Eunice Soto Ralat – Producer
Mackenzie Mathis – Cinematographer
Wili Rodríguez - Co-Editor
Caroline Gil – Art Director
Aiko Terui – Gaffer, Camera Assistant