By Daisy Franklin for Movie Every day
Few movies handle to seize the uncooked vulnerability of grief whereas illuminating the glints of hope that comply with. In his poignant directorial debut, A Place to Fall Down, Duane Hansen Fernandez delivers a heartfelt exploration of human resilience within the face of tragedy. Starring the critically acclaimed Clifton Collins Jr. (Jockey), the brief movie follows Jose, an elite mechanic, as he wrestles with the profound lack of his spouse. Set over a single day, the movie balances moments of quiet introspection with the surprising twists that life generally gives, reminding us all that the world works in mysterious methods.
This deeply private work, impressed by Fernandez’s personal experiences with loss, delves into common questions on therapeutic and the power of the human spirit. With a considerate script, highly effective performances, and a visually compelling narrative, A Place to Fall Down stands as a testomony to the enduring energy of storytelling.
Within the director’s personal phrases, the movie is a labor of affection born out of a brutal five-year stretch of his life. Fernandez opens up about his vulnerability throughout the inventive course of, aiming to attach with audiences who’ve felt the isolating weight of grief. “If this movie reaches even one particular person and makes them really feel related and seen,” Fernandez shares, “then I would be the one who feels rather less alone on this planet.”
(1) What’s A Place to Fall Down all about?
A Place to Fall Down is, on the floor, a movie about grief and loneliness – one thing I feel plenty of us are sadly managing as of late.
However, it’s additionally a movie about hope and the resilience of the human spirit. In the end, it serves as a reminder to us all that the world may be a completely magical place in probably the most surprising methods.
(2) There’s a lot texture and element within the movie, plenty of layers, are you able to speak us by your aesthetic and what you have been hoping to attain with this look?
My visible fashion is an try to create a glance that feels lived in and trustworthy. My favourite pictures are ones that make you’re feeling such as you’re there – the sensation like they’re moments you may have already lived, and can inevitably dwell once more. Within the movie, the moments which can be comfortable – even barely out of focus – are snapshots, a second captured in time, and there’s a wistfulness there; an authenticity within the intentional imperfections. It feels relatable as a result of virtually all of us expertise the world this manner.
My purpose with A Place to Fall Down was to function a extremely wealthy, cinematic narrative that was easy sufficient to permit each the story and Clifton’s unbelievable efficiency to circulate naturally. The hope is that with every extra viewing, audiences will discover how complicated the visible story really is – there are plenty of little moments all through the movie designed to softly information the viewer to an emotional place, whereas by no means forcing them there.
(3) What challenges did you face whereas making this movie?
Actually, the very first and large problem was merely sharing the script. Whereas I all the time put a little little bit of myself in all my tales, this one was probably the most autobiographical, whereas nonetheless altering the variables. The act of handing it over to another person to learn made me really feel extremely weak.
When it got here to manufacturing, I knew our largest problem was going to be time. We didn’t have an enormous finances, so we needed to do loads with a bit. We solely had someday to shoot the movie – and never even a full day at that. On manufacturing day, cameras have been up at 8:30am and we wrapped at 5:45pm. It took 9 hours to knock out 11 pages.
We have been in a position to overcome the problem not solely as a result of we had an extremely gifted solid and crew, however we have been terribly ready. We spent months understanding each scene from each angle, and when it got here time to make magic, all that preparation paid off.
As a director, I’ve a really fluid workflow that permits us to maneuver effectively by manufacturing. Whereas I believed we may shoot this in someday, I knew it might completely require an skilled actor with immense expertise. As I began engaged on who may carry Jose to life and carry out underneath such tight circumstances, there was only one identify that saved rising to the highest of the checklist: Clifton Collins Jr.
Our protagonist, Jose, has a really complicated journey, and it wanted to be carried out with a really delicate stability of nuance and subtlety. The actor wanted to comprise these feelings and permit them to take a seat, simmer and construct all through the story. The look of an eye fixed wanted to talk extra volumes than a monologue. This precision – this potential to visibly unfold the ache of the previous… I knew there was just one particular person that might do that. Clifton Collins Jr. is undoubtedly one of many biggest actors of our technology; his identify is already etched up there with the best of all time.
I’ll be eternally grateful that Clifton took my name, that he learn the script, and that he believed in me. His efficiency was nothing wanting extraordinary.
(4) Because it pertains to A Place to Fall Down, what are you most happy with?
With our movie, I feel the factor I’ve been most happy with is how folks have related with it in so many various and significant methods. There was plenty of room for interpretation with the story, and I didn’t need to pressure anybody to a vacation spot – I wished them to be pulled into the story and let their very own life experiences impression their private that means of A Place to Fall Down.
(5) So what’s one thing audiences would possibly miss?
I’m very happy with the sleight of hand we have been in a position to obtain with some moments within the movie. I don’t need to give something away, however I can say that each single element, irrespective of how minute, is there for a motive. Each merchandise you see within the background, each reduce, each sound impact, each music queue, each beat, each phrase. We didn’t do something for the sake of doing it – there are such a lot of smaller tales which can be happening on this movie when you search for them.
One instance: Jose is, naturally, carrying his autobody store shirt. That brand took about six months to develop, and every part about it’s essential to the story indirectly. We most likely did 50 completely different variations, and I even personally illustrated the principle factor numerous occasions, to get every part precisely proper. I can inform you it’s not simply a brand, it’s a whole story.
(6) What do you hope folks take away from A Place to Fall Down?
My hope is that anybody who watches this movie feels rather less alone, and a bit extra optimistic. I hope they perceive that to heal, now we have to do the work – even when it hurts. There’s no different approach.
And naturally that they keep in mind there may be all the time magic on the market, you simply should search for it.
(7) Three of your favourite movies of all time?
Her, directed by Spike Jonze (2013)
Nebraska, directed by Alexander Payne (2013)
Newbies, directed by Mike Mills (2011)
