A contemporary film that depicts a highly complex and contradictory character of a young woman, seeking validation, sex, and fame from social media.
by Nefeli Soteriou
See the feature-length film Unicorns on February 22 @8:30 PM at LOOK Cinemas (657 West 57th Street) as part of New York City’s 12th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival. Tickets now on sale!
Since his teenage years, Alex Lora has been passionate about cinema. He is inspired by independent filmmakers such as Cassavettes, Jim Jarmusch, Chantal Akerman, Tarkovsky and Godard, among others. However, he also enjoys the blockbuster productions of filmmakers like Nolan, particularly works like “Interstellar” and “Dunkirk.”
Determined to pursue his aspirations, the Spanish filmmaker actively sought grants and opportunities to move abroad. He was awarded a Fulbright Grant and joined New York’s City College, where the renowned Chantal Akerman is a professor. Lora produced numerous short films at City College. One of his films made it to Sundance, while another was a finalist for the Student Academy Awards – with an Oscars event held in Hollywood.
As the director explained, there is a notable distinction between creating films in Spain versus in the United States. From fundraising, to working on the set, it varies significantly. In Spain it is generally easier to secure funds if you are a native. However, New York has a unique charm, and the city’s energy is distinct.
In Spain, as in other European countries, film production heavily relies on grants from institutions. The entire funding process is time-consuming, involving numerous factors in the selection, such as who the director is, the production team’s resumé, and the production company’s credentials. The competition is fierce, but accumulating multiple grants not only strengthens the project’s credibility, but also increases the likelihood of securing funds from other organizations.
“For Unicorns, we initially secured funds from the regional grant in Catalonia (ICEC). Subsequently, we formed a partnership with a production company from Valencia, which enabled access to funds from their community’s regional grant (IVIC). Armed with these two grants, Unicorns successfully attracted funds from both the Catalan and the Valencian Televisions. Following this, our team sought additional support from Media (EU) and the central government grant in Spain (ICAA).”
Unicorns was filmed in twenty two days. Achieving the desired results required significant effort. Even requesting an unplanned shot led to headaches for part of the team, accompanied by bureaucratic delays that affected time management and the overall atmosphere on set.
Nevertheless, in-spite the difficulties, Lora picked a great cast. “I became acquainted with Greta through a short film titled Alex. Despite her youth, she already displayed exceptional acting skills. Notably, she is the daughter of the well-known and talented Spanish actor, Eduard Fernandez. When I watched The Thief’s Daughter, a film in which both of them starred, I envisioned her as the protagonist for my movie. However, since my film depicts a highly complex and contradictory character, I hesitated, thinking she might not be interested. My producer reached out to her, and after we met, we immediately connected. Greta did an outstanding job, bringing the character to life. It saddens me that she has not been nominated for the Academy Awards in Spain and Catalonia. Although she did receive a nomination for the Valencian awards, Regarding the other actors, we collaborated with Irene Roque, a highly skilled casting director who provided invaluable assistance throughout the process.”
The song at the beginning of Unicorns is by the artist Marina Herlop, that the filmmaker hopes to meet in person someday. It was not specifically created for the movie; rather, it was pre-existing music she composed. “We incorporated several of her themes into the film to maintain consistency within the movie’s universe. This decision was based on a recommendation from Too Young LTD and Frederick Shindler, who assisted us as an advisor for the Original Soundtrack. Marina sings in a language she invented, blending words and syllables from various languages to create unique sounds. The result is something truly special, and only she can truly interpret the meaning behind her lyrics.”
Lora shared that from the very first day, even during the script writing and pre-production stages, numerous challenges emerged. “In my experience, some projects flow smoothly, while others lack the right energy. This was unprecedented for me, given the various projects I’ve undertaken. Problems surfaced from day one—during the shooting of the first scene, there was an issue with a sofa in the background. I noticed a pattern that could potentially cause moiré, inquired about it, and was assured it was fine. However, when we reached the close-up shots, a horrible moiré appeared, rendering the previously shot scene unusable. Although I didn’t make a big fuss, we had to replace the sofa and reshoot the scene, wasting two hours on something that could have been avoided. On the same day, there was another challenge when I decided to alter the planned shots due to issues with the initial vision outside the set. On the second or third day, a malfunctioning light, which was only providing a bit of filling from outside the building, caused a one-hour delay as we tried to fix it.
While I empathize with their feelings, my priority is completing the scene on time, especially when facing a looming location deadline the next day. If the scene isn’t finished, all the shots taken become unusable. These challenges extend beyond production elements, including external factors like construction in the adjacent apartment. Challenges also manifest within the team. As a director, you recognize their commitment to delivering their best, but emphasizing the importance of completing the entire scene is crucial, as their work would be rendered useless without the context of the other shots.”
One particular challenge Alex Lora dealt with was at the start of the production. One of the actors mentioned that he didn’t know how to float on the sea, creating anticipation for when to film that particular scene. Interestingly, filming took place on the last day, and to playfully address the issue, the team gave the actor a unicorn floaty as a humorous gift.
Other scenes that were difficult were the sex scenes; “They are always complex; they make everyone feel uneasy. Similarly, the party scene, with a large crowd and the need to portray intoxication, presented its own set of challenges. Additionally, night shoots are exhausting, and the cold weather added to the difficulty,” the director pointed out. And he continued, “Trust cannot be bought; it must be earned. Building that trust is typically easier if you’ve previously worked with the team and proven successful outcomes.”
The independent movies Alex worked on in New York have been particularly rewarding; with small teams, he believes they achieved a great deal. Going forward the filmmaker aspires to find ways to secure more funding for larger productions in New York, but it’s challenging, especially as a foreigner. Teaching is also highly rewarding to him. “In the realm of teaching, there’s a substantial amount of learning involved. To effectively impart knowledge, you must thoroughly understand the subject matter. Additionally, teaching prompts a reflection on your own experiences, allowing you to identify any mistakes you might have made in your own productions. One of the valuable aspects of teaching is observing the films created by students, which is a continual learning experience for both me and the class. However, the most gratifying aspect of teaching lies in the energy of the students. Their enthusiasm and passion for filmmaking are infectious. Leaving the classes, I find myself inspired to engage in the exercises I assign them and eager to create more films”
Alex Loras’s short film titled The Masterpiece, premiered at Sundance on January 20th this year. Additionally, his team has secured funding for his next feature, slated to be filmed in Spain and Morocco in 2025. The working title for this project is “Between the Hammer and the Stone.” The film is centered around a kid who becomes partially involved with the individuals responsible for the terrorist attacks in Barcelona in 2017. Apart from these projects, Lora has several scripts ready for production in the United States. Some lean towards independent filmmaking, while others have a more commercial appeal, necessitating a substantial investment. Currently, the filmmaker is in the process of securing pitching for these projects and hopefully establishing a successful career in both the United States and Spain.
Nefeli Soteriou
Nefeli Soteriou’s background is in Film and Media Arts, Creativity Coaching with Coaching Psychology, Behavioral Coaching for Mental Health, and Education. With significant, real-world experience as a Life Coach and Filmmaker, she specializes in helping filmmakers with every aspect of the filmmaking life, from completing unfinished films to handling the stresses and pressures that they face.
About Winter Film Awards
New York City’s 12th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival runs February 21-25 2024 in New York City and includes 82 outstanding films, a diverse mixture of animated films, documentaries, comedies, romances, dramas, horror films, music videos and web series of all lengths. Our five-day event is jam-packed with screenings and Q&A sessions at NYC’s LOOK Cinemas, six Education sessions/workshops and a variety of filmmaker networking events all coming to a glittering close on February 25 with our red-carpet gala Awards Ceremony.
Winter Film Awards is dedicated to showcasing the amazing diversity of voices in indie film and our 2024 lineup is 58% made by women and half by or about people of color. Filmmakers come from 23 countries and 41% of our films were made in the New York City area. 13 films were made by students and 26 are works from first-time filmmakers.
Winter Film Awards programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Promotional support provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.
Visit https://winterfilmawards.com/wfa2024/ for more information.
