{"id":8728,"date":"2016-05-23T20:24:06","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T00:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/?p=8728"},"modified":"2016-11-11T14:52:21","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T19:52:21","slug":"politics-personhood-an-intimate-conversation-with-california-writerdirector-marina-person","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/politics-personhood-an-intimate-conversation-with-california-writerdirector-marina-person\/","title":{"rendered":"Politics & Personhood: An Intimate Conversation with CALIFORN\u00cdA Writer\/Director Marina Person"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Brazilian native & MTV alum opens up about\u00a080’s nostalgia, Western culture, female sexuality & industry representation, and CALIFORN\u00cdA’s girlhood coming-of-age saga during\u00a0the film’s\u00a0Tribeca premiere last month.<\/em><\/p>\n

We open to the interior of a young teenager\u2019s bedroom: that of 15 year-old Estela (newcomer\u00a0Clara Gallo), who we first meet as she begins her inauguration into the tumultuous throes of womanhood. Arguably the most sacred form of refuge for any adolescent, Estela\u2019s bedroom is no exception: the unique intimacy evoked by her room\u2019s distinctive interior suggests that this self-expressive haven brings young Teca a much needed sense of stability and comforting familiarity during what is an otherwise thrilling yet daunting time in her life. As the camera slowly pans around, we glimpse Estela sprawled in bed while her voice narrates the contents of a letter she is currently writing to her beloved uncle, a music journalist living in California whom Teca wholly idolizes. Director Marina Person invites us to peruse this space and probe every nook and cranny; and the period details that litter each frame\u2014including the letter\u2019s specific cultural references\u2014suggest that we are in the early 1980\u2019s. The year is 1984 to be exact, and with a faithful specificity to each decade-defining stylistic touch, Person crafts this scene in a manner that effectively establishes the film\u2019s atmospheric tone, and fully immerses us in its sense of time and place.<\/p>\n

Within minutes, the complicit voyeurism of Person\u2019s camerawork and rich visual exposition offers deep insight into the various shades and dimensions of Estela\u2019s identity. Observed with a gentle curiosity made intimate by Person\u2019s idiosyncratic eye, the contents of Estela\u2019s room\u2014and the private moments, banal interactions, and conversations with trusted confidantes we ultimately find ourselves privy to\u2014reveal the rich tapestry of her character. We notice, for instance, how Estela\u2019s taste in d\u00e9cor parallels her spunky femininity, and projects the extent to which her love of Western culture influences her style [indeed, with her jet-black bob effortlessly tussled and flipped to the side, Gallo seems to be channeling a Latin Molly Ringwald], as well as her aspirations and interests\u2014right down to the posters of sunny California that furnish Teca\u2019s walls; visually projecting her West Coast wanderlust, in the footsteps of her uncle. (Fortunately, after having sacrificed her 15th birthday party in exchange for a trip to California once she turns 17\u2014and with her 17th birthday looming just around the corner\u2014Teca is now closer than ever to making this dream a reality\u2014and when she\u2019s not distracted by the foibles of young love, our protagonist\u2019s anticipation is so consuming that we too nearly taste her anxious excitement as well).<\/p>\n

Other objects and ornaments further abound with rich character clues; as the assortment of vinyl records and album posters shed meaningful light on Estela\u2019s zealous love of music\u2014we see a particular fondness for glam rock, British beat, David Bowie and Pink Floyd\u2014and the recurrence of these visual cues, in conjunction with the ways in which Estela frequently turns to music as a way to connect with others, further reiterate music\u2019s instrumental value (pun intended) to Teca. Yet Person also goes to great stylistic lengths to ensure that music\u2019s exceptionalism isn\u2019t just confined to the singular joy it brings Estela within California\u2019s narrative. In fact, the film itself also seems to holistically benefit from having music baked into its very DNA; for Person\u2019s eclectic and electrifying soundtrack\u2014an indulgent nostalgic treat whose tracks include The Cure, Joy Division, Bowie, Echo and the Bunnymen, and many others\u2014creates\u00a0the film’s ambience and adds a meta dimension that quite literally speaks\u00a0volumes of music\u2019s integral presence within\u00a0California<\/em>\u2019s overall aesthetic. \u00a0Even Teca\u2019s stuffed animals\u2014perhaps one of the few remaining vestiges of her innocence\u2014symbolize a wide-eyed youth that still endear her to childhood.<\/p>\n

\"California<\/p>\n

From witnessing Estela getting her first period at the film\u2019s outset to eventually charting her first sexual encounter, California<\/em> chronicles the whirlwind of milestones\u2014both familiar and specific\u2014that signify our central character\u2019s impending womanhood. This coming of age tale is therefore not unlike many girlhood sagas of recent years which aim to capture their young protagonists\u2019 confusing, exhilarating and often jarring foray into adulthood (from the superb Mustang<\/em> and Girlhood<\/em>; to Diary of a Teenage Girl<\/em> and Blue is the Warmest Color<\/em>; the genre seems to be experiencing an exceptional renaissance)\u2014and as Estela learns to embrace her newfound desires and burgeoning sexuality, she too must navigate the insecurities, pressures, complications, and burdensome responsibilities invited by her blossoming adulthood. Like many of these contemporaries, Estela\u2019s coming of age tale avoids finger-wagging indignation or judgment. What distinguishes this film, then, isn\u2019t necessarily the nuance, humanity or respectful empathy Person brings to her heroine\u2019s arc, but the rather unsentimental manner in which that very arc is tested following the sudden and unexpected news of a family member\u2019s AIDS diagnosis\u2014and the ways in which Estela must cope with this tragic and painful reality, while also grappling with romantic heartbreak and the palpable disappointment of her derailed dream trip, reveal a quiet humility and imperfect yet noble strength of character that speaks to a larger universal understanding of what it means to be an adult, and how personal growth and maturity often requires resilience in the face of struggle and despair. How fitting, then, to have this struggle be mirrored\u00a0and distilled through the turbulent political climate that backdrops the film; for the decade saw none more despairing, universal or culturally defining than the widespread devastation brought by the nascent AIDS epidemic.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

I had the chance to sit down with Person during last month\u2019s Tribeca festival, where California made its North American premiere. A Brazilian native whose resume also boasts the title of actress, writer, and TV show host, Person is no stranger to the festival circuit. After winning Best Director at the Gramado and RioCine Film Festivals for the 1996 short \u201cAlmoco Executivo\u201d she co-directed with Jorge Espirito-Santo, her first solo project and feature debut came with the 2007 documentary \u201cPerson\u201d; a personal opus of sorts that went on to show at Locarno and Trieste. As with that film, CALIFORNIA is impressively buoyed by the infusion of its helmer\u2019s personal experiences; which work to generously inform both Estela\u2019s story and the film\u2019s stylistic sensibilities. Because the film\u2019s aesthetic palette is in many ways a love letter to the throwback music videos of yesteryear, it comes as little surprise that Person has 18 years of experience at MTV Brasil under her belt. Given the film\u2019s autobiographical threads, I was eager to pick Person\u2019s brain on her creative process and artistic influences; Brazil\u2019s complicated political history and its charged social landscape in the 80s, which saw the country’s first democratic presidential\u00a0elections following 20 years of military dictatorship; how this state of affairs\u00a0further impacted\u00a0her adolescence\u00a0amidst the height of the AIDS crisis; and how the film\u2019s examined juxtaposition between character (inner) and cultural (exterior) turmoil becomes a rich thematic allegory\u00a0for the intersection between our\u00a0personal and political experiences, histories and identities.<\/p>\n

What follows is a slightly modified version of our conversation, edited for clarity.<\/p>\n

\"California
Estela and her Uncle Carlos (Caio Blat). Photo by Aline Arruda via TribecaFilm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How did this film come about as a project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first inspiration for this film was my own memories of being a teenager in Brazil in the 1980s. Politically speaking, it was a very special time\u2014we had lived during a very tough period in our history, and after 20 years of life under military rule people were taking to the streets to encourage everyone to vote because we wanted our democracy back.<\/p>\n

Mine was also the first generation to start having sex alongside the onset of AIDS\u2014which is ironic because as the sons and daughters of the sexual revolution, hippie culture, and even the pill, our early sexual experiences were largely informed by the cultural liberation of the 60s and 70s\u2014yet suddenly we found ourselves having to face this unknown and very violent disease that was connected to sex.\u00a0\u00a0 But the film is not about AIDS or politics, it\u2019s about this young girl\u2014so I wanted to talk about how these issues affected Estela by showing these different experiences from her perspective.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Framing the AIDS crisis and its social implications in the background also allowed for an impressive navigation between fact and fiction\u2014where despite the conventions of this genre dictating a certain adherence to historical record, unlike biopics, there\u2019s a considerable creative leeway afforded\u2014and you used that dramatic agency to achieve a stealthy balance between politics and personal experience through Estela\u2019s story. I found this recurring dichotomy\u2014collective vs. individual histories, shared vs. personal\u00a0memories\u2014to be most effectively rendered through your recollections of how the epidemic (and its heightened stigma on the gay community) fundamentally shaped your generation\u2019s formative sexual understanding; as well as how the global attitude surrounding sex particularly impacted the sexual ethos of Brazilian culture throughout the decade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, exactly because in one way or another, these were issues that affected my youth, my own adolescence\u2014and I wanted to talk about it from a female point-of-view. How is it for a girl to not be a kid anymore? [Estela] is a teenager when she gets her first period, and a lot happens between that moment and her first love, her first sexual experience. You know, there\u2019s a lot of internal dialogue when one loses their virginity: so it was important to convey what\u2019s going on in Estela\u2019s head, the things that can happen, the plans that don\u2019t necessarily go as expected.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Similarly, the upcoming democratic presidential elections mentioned in the film were a watershed moment in Brazilian politics\u2014so in many ways, this is a film of firsts. <\/strong><\/p>\n

It is, it is. But it\u2019s also a film about\u2014I mean, the title itself is California; a place Estela dreams of and has concrete plans of going to. You know the quote \u201cLife is what happens to you while you\u2019re busy making other plans\u201d? This is what the film is essentially about: things in life may not go according to plan, but sometimes other things unexpectedly happen that are just as beautiful as what you imagined. But you have to be open to these possibilities and accept what life throws at you\u2014the wonderful surprises and imperfections alike.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking of California, there were many Western cultural flourishes throughout the film\u2014the most prevalent of course being Estela\u2019s taste in music. Why was it important to include those specific cultural touches?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well as you know, this film is very autobiographical. I was always obsessed with music my whole life\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which of course brings to mind your time at MTV Brasil\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, yes exactly! I was a VJ for them\u2014but that was after. When I was a kid, a child I mean, I had these cousins that were crazy about The Beatles, so I grew up listening to their songs and by the time I was six or seven years old, I could sing \u201cHey Jude\u201d and \u201cYellow Submarine\u201d by heart although I didn\u2019t know what they meant. And I learned a lot of English because I wanted to know what they were singing about, so I was always very much into music, and of course as a teenager I was collecting these records and I was completely into it\u2014The Cure, The Smiths, you know\u2014so I wanted the film to have these songs, but you know they\u2019re very difficult to get cleared. It\u2019s expensive, especially since we\u2019re a small Brazilian production company, and I also absolutely needed a Bowie song because I was OBSESSED with him as a teenager\u2014I was completely, completely crazy about him. I really did fall in love with him actually; you know I wanted to be his girlfriend [chuckles].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Was Brazil in general enamored with American culture at the time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well Brazil is big, I mean if you talk about\u2014most of the population aren\u2019t even exposed to the culture enough to know much about it. But yeah, we are kind of\u00a0dominated by American culture one way or another through American music, films, American literature, everything\u2014the world is dominated by American culture! [laughs] Especially films and music.<\/p>\n

\"California
Ancine & Mira Films. DP Flora Dias.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are definitely some great subtle throwaways to these influences throughout the film; like little Easter eggs for those who picked up on such details. I loved how Estela wore a \u2018tkts\u2019 t-shirt in one scene for instance; that Broadway tribute was a nice little touch. Speaking of your muse, how did Clara Gallo get on board with the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

She auditioned, but before that she had no acting experience at all\u2014not film, theater, nothing. But she was very different, and she made me think of the character in a different way. When she came in for her audition, she had long hair with dreadlocks down to her waist, she was very you know, modern [chuckles]. And I knew that this girl was kind of shy, you know she was wearing these very big t-shirts\u2014very much a quiet teenager. But she had something about her, like there was something she wanted to talk about but couldn\u2019t so instead was holding it in; I felt very drawn to that. She intrigued me, that\u2019s the word. By the time we began rehearsing\u2014after she had her callback and went through a six-week training period with an acting coach\u2014she was totally into her exercises, running around and screaming.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Are there any challenges to directing a narrative film that you don\u2019t necessarily encounter with documentaries?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well I only did one documentary, and that film came to me as a necessity. My father was a filmmaker\u2014the documentary is about him\u2014and he died when I was very young. And when I went to film school, I learned that all the things people would tell me in terms of him and his talent were not just the kind of generalized statements one makes when talking about an absent father. So that made me curious and prompted me to learn more about who he was, and I\u2019m glad I had the film to show me that. I had the need to understand who this figure was: what were his thoughts and ideas, what kind of person was he\u2014I was curious to know more about my father. Plus, I had his works and films as a kind of guide, so with this [personal project] I never really thought of myself as a documentarian. Though I have thought about making more documentaries, especially when I come across a subject that interests me. But even in film school, I always thought of myself as a fiction [narrative] filmmaker. They\u2019re very different from each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking of your father, the theme of family is one that strongly runs throughout CALIFORNIA as well. Would you say that making films is a way to help you sort of therapeutically negotiate your own understanding of your identity and past?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh yeah. Whenever you\u2019re dealing with a certain mode of expression, eventually you\u2019re going to talk about yourself in one way or another. Some people hide more,\u00a0others expose themselves more\u2014but all of us are influenced by what we like and how we were brought up. I think it\u2019s impossible not to show who you are and where you come from if you\u2019re [creatively] expressing yourself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Given that men dominate the film & entertainment industry around the world, is there a market carved out for female filmmakers in Brazil\u2014either through some kind of network or state-sponsored support? <\/strong><\/p>\n

You know, things are changing now. There has definitely been more awareness surrounding this issue especially in the last year and a half, which has opened up a [necessary] conservation regarding the industry\u2019s lack of female representation\u2014not just in directing, but acting as well. So I do think the situation is changing, but the first step of course is to be conscious of the problem. We do have a problem\u2014everyone agrees on that\u2014you know, we cannot just accept the fact that women make up more than fifty percent of the population, yet only fifteen or sixteen percent of the films shown in festivals around the world are directed by women. That\u2019s not acceptable.<\/p>\n

Are we saying then that women are not interested in making films? Hhm. So you know, we really have to make our way because this is ultimately a man\u2019s world. So many people ask me \u201cwhat advice do you have for other female filmmakers?\u201d My response is \u201cGo for it! No one is going to open the door for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

But even though this is a problem around the world, Brazil is not the worst place to be a female director nowadays; we do have many. It\u2019s interesting because whenever I get asked who my favorite female directors are, or what my favorite films made by female directors are, I can\u2019t help but think how few options there are to choose from. I mean, you can offhandedly count all the names of these directors and their films because there are so few. This has to change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Would you consider this to be a feminist film, then? If not, how do you respond to that label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well it is a feminist film, if you think feminism is about equal opportunities. My crew for this film was all female, which is rare for Brazil and around the world really. Between my DP, production designer, costume designer, makeup artist, I was surrounded by women. But the thing is, I didn\u2019t go into this film thinking that I wanted to have an all-female crew\u2014that was never my particular intention\u2014it just happened.<\/p>\n

This film is very much about the female experience, female desires\u2014I suppose subconsciously I needed these women around me so it kind of happened naturally. And this too will naturally happen if more women write scripts and helm the overall filmmaking process\u2014not just in terms of production, or makeup, or the wardrobe department.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What movies did you directly draw inspiration from when making this film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a teenager, I was crazy about John Hughes\u2014I told all the actors that they had to watch The Breakfast Club<\/em> because they both explore issues regarding teen angst and the adolescent experience\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I can definitely see that! Not just through their thematic overlap of course, but also in the respective way each film quintessentially embodies the decade\u2019s style and culture\u2014right down to Estela\u2019s Molly Ringwald-channeled coiffure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[laughs] I really love every part of that film, especially the music. But I also really liked The Outsiders<\/em>, so I watched a lot of those films.<\/p>\n

\"California
Mira x Lauper Films<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So suffice it to say you were very into the glam-punk scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh yes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you hope audiences will take away from the film when leaving the theater?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard many different reactions and responses to the film. People who lived in the 80s and remember that time period come up to me and say how I brought them back to their own adolescence especially through the music, costumes, and other details that defined the period such as the cassettes and phones that were used. So in a way this is very much a film for the Gen X and early Gen Y generation, I think those in their 40s respond most to the film\u2019s sense of nostalgia. But then I also have teenagers tell me \u201cOh, it\u2019s great how this film seems to be about me. I also fell in lve with the wrong boy, yada yada,\u201d so they identify with the characters and the story, although it\u2019s a completely different time and place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Echoing how the film is both specific and universal. That\u2019s probably the best kind of feedback any artist can get\u2014that feeling of \u201crelatability\u201d; having a connection to the work.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. People connect to the film, so this is the best thing that can happen to a filmmaker.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you have any upcoming projects that we can look out for?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be acting in a film called Ballad of Return<\/em>. And as a director, I have a couple of projects in development.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So do you prefer being in front of or behind the camera?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s different. I like both, but it\u2019s funny because when you are doing something you think, \u201cOh, this is the thing I like to do more.\u201d SO when I was acting I thought \u201cThis is great. I don\u2019t have to do anything but me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It gives you that creative focus.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. I don\u2019t know how these actors direct AND act AND produce. How do they do it all?!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But when you go home at the end of the day, what stays with you more emotionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both. I mean, directing is a 24\/7 lifestyle because you never rest. I mean, when you\u2019re sleeping you\u2019re thinking about it, you live for it. You don\u2019t eat, you don\u2019t have any time for yourself because you\u2019re constantly thinking about this one project for months. It\u2019s very intense, but also very fulfilling.<\/p>\n

With acting, you have to give so much of yourself. You feel exhausted, but in an emotional way. Especially if you have a character that demands a lot like, as was the case with me. I had to be depressed, I had to cry and scream and fight and dance and be naked in front of a whole crew\u2014whew. It was like an emotional rollercoaster. And I\u2019m not a [conventionally] trained actress, so for me everything was too much. It was a bit overwhelming.<\/p>\n

I think it was Kevin Spacey that said\u2014or maybe it was Gary Oldman? I don\u2019t know, some smart actor said \u201cEvery time I go back home to my family, I take my character for a walk around the block so I can just let him be and leave him there. And then I can go home and be myself.\u201d\u00a0\u25a0<\/p>\n

\"California
Writer\/director Marina Person. Photo by Aline Arruda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

California was also selected to screen at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival’s Premi\u00e9re Brasil Feature Competition, as well as the S\u00e3o Paulo International Film Festival.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Brazilian native & MTV alum opens up about\u00a080’s nostalgia, Western culture, female sexuality & industry representation, and CALIFORN\u00cdA’s girlhood coming-of-age saga during\u00a0the film’s\u00a0Tribeca premiere last month. We open to the interior of a young teenager\u2019s bedroom: that of 15 year-old Estela (newcomer\u00a0Clara Gallo), who we first meet as she begins her inauguration into the\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2065],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-8728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/california-feature.jpg?fit=1882%2C1004","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6QBV8-2gM","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8728"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8749,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8728\/revisions\/8749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8728"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=8728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}