ARIEL ORAMA LÓPEZ (AG ORLOZ)

 

First of all we would like to know a little more about you. So that the audience has as much information as possible. Who is Ariel Orama López (AG ORLOZ)?

I want to express my gratitude to your distinguished festival War of Films for the opportunity to be interviewed. Who I am? is a deep question. I can define myself as an eternal dreamer who believes in the unlimited power of creativity and who has been in search of the art/science binomial throughout his life: seeking for the Uomo universale paradigm. I have combined studies in psychology, natural sciences, media and contemporary culture, creative writing, and politics, to satisfy my genuine desire to nurture the intellect and to be able to contribute through the brotherhood of different disciplines. Also, I can conceive myself as an actor who directs, I will always say so. And, from this context, I have had the opportunity of traveling to unimaginable corners of the World, both personally and through my creations.

 

How many years have you been making movies and how did you end up making movies?

I started to make films, formally, from 2009-2010, when I understood that it was time to capture my ideas, in a different way: through the richness of visuality and the sound element. I've been an independent film director for 13 years and 23 years' experience as an actor: I still consider myself an eternal apprentice of acting and an emerging director, this will never change.

 

Let's talk about your project. How long did it take from the initial idea to have it ready to be released?

Princëney was born during the confinement, at the beginning of 2020. The idea was to create a diversity project that could be narrated like a fairy tale, with certain particularity: it is about an LGBTTQIA+ and Caribbean character who wants to be a prince. I worked on the script intensely for two years until, finally, I decided to cocreate the animated version of the story with a talented Peruvian animator, Jorge Caceres, added to a wonderful cast and two international composers that I respect a lot, Daniel Carreta and Rafael Fernández.

 

Can you tell us a bit about the process you've had with Princëney? Is it self-financed or were you able to get financing?

The project was created without federal or national funds: it was through the contributions of my family, my own savings, and the help of close friends. We managed to get the project financed with a lot of faith. I cannot forget the substantial support of well-loved actresses from Puerto Rico and a very special group of actors from the new generations who immediately joined the project without any doubt.

 

No spoilers, but what will the public find in Princëney?

At Princëney you will discover the story of a dreaming child and the immeasurable power of his faith. The spectators will be able to discover corners of our beloved Island, Puerto Rico (represented as “Stellar” in the film), as well as a series of very entertaining characters, very defined in their personality profile, that enrich the story. I must highlight the participation of the Mexican voice actor Rodrigo Martínez Meza, who knew how to capture with his voice the essence that I was searching for to enrich the storytelling process. The title of Princëney (and the name of my leading character) is a wink to one of my role models, Walt Disney. Of course, with a very particular futuristic look and our new visions, set in 2030.

 

Have you been inspired by any other film of the same genre?

Although this animated short is based on my childhood wish to be part of a fully animated project, in the rest of the life actions projects that I directed I can mention the influence of the Spanish director, producer and screenwriter Roberto Peréz Toledo (RIP). His film “Amigos raros” and his diversity short films enriched my experience as an actor and as a director: I got inspired with the liberties that Roberto Perez Toledo took telling love stories, in times of inclusion and diversity.

 

There are many creators who seek inspiration from other artists, literature, music, painting, etc. To create this work have you used references from other arts? If so, what are they?

Definitely, the incon of Walt Disney has been transcendental in my approach to animated films. I am sure the animator would also think the same. On the other hand, paradoxically, the project challenges the current vision of companies like Disney, by conceiving the first story of a Caribbean and LGBTTQIA+ main character who aspires to be a prince. One of my great hopes is that the project and my concept can be positioned in festivals around the world and that, at some point, it can be shared on a platform or turned into something bigger.

 

We would also like to know more about your film preferences. We would love to know which directors you like and which are your favorite movies.

When it comes to mentioning favorite directors, I have several preferences. On diversity topics and contemporary visions, Roberto Perez Toledo. My first teachers: Alfred Hitchcock, Bunuel along with Dali, and finally, Pedro Almodovar's vision ahead of his time. Currently: James Cameron and his wonderful eye to create the impossible (without forgetting the continuous presence of our precious element, water, that is also present in all my projects). All of them were relevant in the process of finding my own voice: I understand that, since 2009, I was already clear about the type of films I wanted to make and its qualities: a) aesthetic, b) symbolic, and c) conceptual in terms of the storytelling.

 

There are great classics of cinema considered masterpieces, but for us cinema is subjective, and we also love films that critics may consider bad. Do you have movies that are not considered masterpieces but that you could watch over and over again without stopping? Which are?

More than movies, I can mention The Good Place series, which has been somewhat underrated. The interesting thing about the project is that it disguises an interesting script of everyday and comic situations with very high elements of philosophy, quantum physics and metaphysics. If we return to the subject of movies, I can mention the film Holiday which, being a romantic film, pays tribute to cinema in a thousand ways that only an expert in this art/science can decipher.

 

Your favorite black and white movie?

This is a very interesting question. In this century, Rome, by Alfonso Cuaron. Few understood the value of his precision in wanting to capture the essence of Mexican film with current technology: achieving this wonderful pairing is an indecipherable formula. From the beginnings of cinema history, I would select tons of Mexican films. Mexico made an invaluable contribution to the cinema and what I most admire is the verisimilitude in the performances and the integration of the musical interpretation of the main actor or actress, which gives it an insurmountable degree of emotion. Regarding the power of narrative, the classics, and the role of women, Doña Barbara (1943) is a masterpiece that I will never forget. And, although it is not in black and white, I recommend everyone to look up the story and decipher the symbols of the Mexican film Rojo amanecer.

 

Have you seen anything by Quentin Tarantino? How would you define it in one word? 

Curiously, the theme of Mexico is recurring in my life and I love it as my second homeland: the first time I saw Kill Bill, I was in Mexico City (formerly D.F.) and, from there, I was able to appreciate Tarantino's work for the very first time. In one word?: enigmatic. 

 

Your favorite 2010-2020 movie?

The answer is easy: Parasite (Bon Joon-ho). We must continue learning the art of “seeing beyond the subtitles”. 

 

Your favorite actor or actress?

Currentyl, my favorite actor is Luke Macfarlane, because he breaks schemes from diversity and shows the truth in his acting: I am sure I will meet him someday. Javier Bardem was a great reference, as well as Gerard Depardieu, during my first years in college. Helena Bonham Carter is a great inspiration and knows her craft (and her “spells”) very well. And during my childhood, I would select Woody Allen. Analyzing it well, now I believe that Woody, unconsciously, led me to be a director and a psychologist: or at least, it influenced me a lot.

 

Changing the subject, one of the concerns of many creators is the lack of financing or opportunities that producers provide. What do you think about this?

The economic factor has always been a fundamental topic when you are making a film. In the case of my independent projects, the creativity substituted the lack of a Hollywood or Disney-type budget. I hope one day to make the quantum leap to commercial cinema and there I will be able to see if it is more relevant money or creativity. I am still betting on the second.

 

A very personal question, but… What are your strong points and weak points?

My strengths: I know my voice as a filmmaker and actor, and I know how to branch out and discover new tonalities. My weak points? Everything that has to do with the financing process, precisely. I am Gemini. I have much to learn about the earth element.

 

Do you have experience on the festival circuit? As a filmmaker, how do you see film festivals? Where do you think they should improve?

Thanks God, I have a lot of experience in festivals (since 2009) and have received tons of blessings. It is a subject that I am very passionate about, particularly because of the links that you can establish with directors, actors/actresses and producers from different parts of the world. I had the opportunity of meeting great international composers that are part of my films through my IMDB page, that includes some of my projects https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8472995/  They contacted me and it opened a door of possibilities. Cannes 2022 was a beautiful experience in my career as well as the opportunity to be three times considered for the Oscars: I will never forget these experiences. It is relevant to stablish that festivals have done wonders, even in the pandemic: from improvising drive-in theater spaces to virtual festival programs, in times of crisis (and loss of loved ones). Every festival has their magic, and it is difficult to find a point against it.

 

Do you have any other project in mind? Can you advance us something?

I have several projects in mind, but for now, my world revolves around Princëney. I promise news of my next film in mind in the precise moment. I invite you to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (AG Orloz, AG_ORLOZ, and ag_orloz) for upcoming news.

 

Would you like to add something else?

I want to thank all of you for such an interesting interview: it was a journey through time-space and it evokes new questions for me to answer, internally, on a personal and professional level. I want to express my gratitude, with all my heart: I wish you the best wishes for your lives and your distinguished festival. Gaudí and your majestic city will be always in my memories, as well as the magical experiences I had in Hollywood, California. It is a great honor to share experiences with all of you. Moltes gràcies! ¡Un abrazo, Barcelona!