Diego during filming
I am writing this on a plane on my way to Tijuana, one of the cities where you can eat the best food in my country. I can't stop thinking about the smoked marlin tacos that Otto cooks at his restaurant. Must be the nerves. This is not normal. I ate ravioli an hour ago. I'm a few hours away from meeting with Julio CĂ©sar ChĂĄvez. He's going to see the movie for the first time. It took me far more time than I expected to get to a point where I finally had something to show him. I guess he barely remembers what I told him about this film, ChĂĄvez, back in 2005.
Now I ask myself: if I'm suffering this much about Julio's reaction, what's going to happen the day this movie opens in movie theaters? What will my friends think? And what about the ones who hate me? What will my ex girlfriends say?
There is no question that the last few days have been the hardest ones for ChĂĄvez; finishing a movie is a very complicated issue. To feel that you are done, that your final cut is ready and that you are able to show it is one thing - But to FINISH your movie is different. It's like trying to diet on Christmas. Everything seems to be against you. I guess this is why some directors and producers make so much money. It's like that phrase that so many of my colleagues say: "the actors charge for waiting; the rest is a pleasure". The directors could say (note: I have a problem with including myself in such group): "I get paid to promise impossible things." In my dreams everything would be so different. I am talking about the process. I never thought that I could hate a machine like I just did. When those whimsical machines tell you: "You have to wait about 4 hours". Then there's nothing but to wait and be patient. There is nothing worse than your editor telling you: "Just let me render this and we'll keep going." Most of the time, you have to wait for hours. If you are lucky it will be only thirty minutes. Then you realize that you might have to wait more.
Not only that, but any "great" idea will take hours more of waiting. I dare any filmmakers to ask their editor for something which is complicated when he has to go home and his family - his wife and the cutest baby in the world waiting patiently. Ideas have a lifespan and that is something a machine doesn't understand.
I love ChĂĄvez. I see it and understand why the story has to be spread. But, will anyone else be interested? It is now April 2007, it takes a lot of confidence to keep working on an idea which was conceived two years ago. How do you do to keep working? It's one thing is to have enthusiasm at the start a movie, and a very different wish is to have a crowded movie theatre when it opens. What is the best way to be ready for the critics? Will I be ready? Once the movie begins to screen, is it still mine? Will I be able to sleep after this? I assume that on April 26 --sitting in a movie theatre, surrounded by people that I love, in complete darkness and scared to death--is when I'll find out.
Thu, Apr 26, 9:30pm- Clearview Chelsea West Theater 1
Sun, Apr 29, 4:00pm - AMC 34th Street Theater 11
Tue, May 1, 4:30pm - AMC Village VII Theater 2
Sat, May 5, 2:30pm - AMC Kips Bay Theater 12
http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/tff-bo-ticket-info.html
