PIIF 2021 - Pick of the Week 01 - Rod Aloras, director of "The Flame of Memory"
In PoTW 01 we share the interview with Rod Aloras, the director of “The Flame of Memory”. Holocaust survivor David Galante tells his experiences in an art documentary. A story of tragedy, determination, and love. Made with very limited resources, this 40-minute short film is a blend of terrible memories of a man in a moment of despair in the world, with a present of happiness and peace. But is this peace forever?
Alex Sorlino (PIIF Program Director): First, about the structure, how did you make this film.
Rod Aloras "Flame of Memory" - PoTW W01: it's a film that has been made during the edition during the process of the edition. I wanted to have that testimony so strong in film because I thought it was worth showing after having this testimony recorded, I came home, and then I started to realize that it was so substantial that it was meant to be a film.
AS: The music and the sound all the sound design plays a very interesting and strong part in the filmmaking can you talk about that a little bit.
RA: It was that my brother he's a known musician in Argentina composer he has already made music for other films and we discussed about the approach of the music and he thought first that we would work he would work with um analog synthesizers, so there was a lot of factors that conceptually were already framing the music of the film, uh he did an astonishing work melting sound with image. Uhhh... I really think it's it's uh half of the film. we know that films are sound and image maybe we could say in documentary this it's not mandatory sometimes in the documentary form.
AS: Uhh... was it like a homegrown homemade almost kind of film with great quality but with the...How can I say? With a short, with a not great structure?
RA: Yes, it's actually a thing that I did myself. That's more or less the truth i mean i took care of every instance of the film I took care of the sound and an image and edition and everything, the voice-over and the post-production and everything, so it's yeah, it was a job that I did all myself sometimes simultaneously.
AS: In the beginning of the movie you show the picture of some presidents there is this... the title of the newspaper something like "do you do we live in a world full of Trump-like presidents" and then it's a reflection about fascism and nazism I want you to talk what motivated you to put this story alive?
RA: Exactly this is as you said it's a contemporary problem a conflict this one that gallant is talking about is um it's not that I even looked for it when for example this thing that you mentioned in the in the very beginning of the film I'm coming I'm going to work and in the screen of the of the bus where the screen news you would see in this during this morning that the party one of the third party that won the elections in Sweden, the third party had, in its lines, previous nazi members...yeah the return of this extremely dangerous mentality.
AS: It's a man in the end of his time in this world in the present talking about his past to prevent us from what can happen in the future. When you saw the testimony of David Galante, his history, did you see that coming? Did you see that the story was going on that way? And I'm not going to spoil the movie, but time played a major role in it.
RA: I thought that was already the main subject to be talking about uh because of this situation that I'm mentioning, so I'd say um I thought i thought it was urgent that was relevant that was the problem of our time.
AS: Did you drop all your projects to run after this sense of urgency about this story? Did you have other things happening and coming, and when you saw that, you said, "oh my god, I need to do this right now"?
RA: More or less. It was more or less like that because I had already started the project which was going to be my first... Uhh, documentary, actually I can't tell you what it's about, but I was already into a project... Uhhh, for a couple of months and then I traveled to Sweden because I live in Sweden where I work here I work painting, and this is the way I have to pay for all the equipment and to pay the journeys and the film. So I afford the films myself with my own work. So I go to Argentina in this case, and I work with something then I come back to Sweden. I have to work to get more money to complete the film, so when I in one of those journeys was that I know, in the morning, I read this article about David and yes I had to put on hold this other project also very interesting, but David by then was 95-years-old something like that. Uhh, lucid he was full of energy and willing to tell his story, so that was also a matter of urgency. Now I wanted to have it there and not waste any time with that so I yes, I stopped working for the month that I had to work with the film and then come back to Sweden, and while I worked then in my three hours after work, I would work with the film and the weekends and so. So I kind of managed to have everything going on.
AS: Rod Aloras. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you very much for submitting your fantastic film to PIIF Prague international indie film festival. This is our second year, and we hope to have great movies like yours in September. We wait for you here in Prague for our screening and our gala edition.
RA: I will be there. I won't miss it. I love Prague. I have the chance of being there a couple of times I have to make a new visit to the Kafka museum. I heard there is some new material a hand, and I just want to be there with you and keep on enjoying this adventure. It's me that I'm thankful, really. Guys, I'm totally grateful for this opportunity and everything that you are building up for us.
AS: All right, thank you very much and watch the next interviews in the pick of the week!