Marco Huertas: “A PORTRAIT OF A GENERATION”
Marco Huertas was born in Alicante, Spain in 1990. Director of the shorts films 56 (2016), Ipdentical (2018), and Navras (2020). His work has received more than 90 awards worldwide. He has directed TV commercials for brands such as Heinz, Xiaomi, and Carrefour. As an actor, he starred in Academy Award-selected short film Manspreading (2018).
What are the most challenging aspects of being a filmmaker?
Finding an economical stability to fully develop your potential is a real struggle unless you were born rich (which is not my case).
What is your source of inspiration for this short film?
Berlin is a very evocative , and Al Pagoda’s music brings you places. We are both fans of Wim Wenders 70’s-80’s films, and paradoxically we rewatched The American Friend (1977), where Hamburg itself is a character, instead of Wings of Desire (1987), shot also in Berlin in B&W.
What is the theme of this film?
We wanted to portray a generation and a state of mind during a very specific historical moment. But I guess the final reading is that, in the hardest moments, art and friends are the best possible shelters.
How do you decide on possible ways to promote your film when you are on a tight budget?
Al Pagoda is very careful and very smart about how he builds his brand, so we had a pretty marked path on how to promote the short film.
How important do you think distribution is in today's marketplace?
A good distribution will make your short film reach more and better audiences and markets.
For those considering self-distribution, what is your advice?
Both Promofest and Film freeway have worked well for me. Think of an ad-hoc strategy for your film and choose well your bullets.
How significant do you think short films are for someone venturing into directing films?
They are the perfect presentation card for new cinematic voices.
What was the worst challenge of your career so far? How did you take it over?
I’ve had several unpleasant experiences with TV advertising, but I had to accept I’m an artisan so that’s all.
What are the factors to making a good film?
Doing something you would like to watch and listen to. Find out what you wanna tell, find the proper and most honest way to tell it, and it will grow by itself with enough love.
Is there anything you would change if you could go back to the beginning?
I wish I knew some thing I know now back in the day, but I’ve made a lot of wonderful mistakes that I will never repeat.
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