Interview: Miguel Coyula

Movies that are shot on digital video suck.

Right?

Somebody forgot to tell Miguel Coyula. 

And since Miguel didn’t know any better, he went out and shot an ambitious feature length drama with a Canon GL1 and a budget of around $2,000. The movie is RED COCKROACHES and it’s pretty amazing. The film is set against a surreal futuristic backdrop and explores complex themes like alienation, betrayal and incest. The film has already developed a huge buzz among low-budget filmmakers thanks to the slick website and incredible trailer. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to track this guy down and see this movie.

The film is currently not available for purchase, but expect that to change soon. It’s currently making the rounds at film festivals in NYC and Austin. The film is by no means perfect, but it raises the bar for microcinema and for that reason alone it’s an important film. It also is a showcase for Miguel’s formidable talents.

I had the chance to interview Miguel about his background, digital video and filmmaking in general.

Cinema Eye: I know you made a lot of films in Cuba. Of course, I have only seen RED COCKROACHES. But can you tell me a little bit about your past work? Did you shoot on film or DV? How did you get started making films?

Miguel Coyula: Yes, RED COCKROACHES is my first feature, but I started out by making shorts at 17 when my aunt gave me her old VHS camera.  Before that, I had been writing short stories, drawing comic books and with a group of high school friends, we even attempted a radio show. So the camera was the manifestation of all these mediums coming together.  My first “film” was a 31-minute experimental piece, which had the peculiarity (since I didn’t have editing facilities) of having been shot chronologically (edited in the camera) and thanks to that film I got into EICTV (The International Film School in Cuba) where I experimented with all the different formats (16mm, Hi 8, BETACAM and finally my thesis in 35mm).  After I finished film school I produced a six-minute short (shot with my old faithful VHS camcorder), which ironically is my most awarded work to date.  I have to say that I don’t believe much in formats

I think I am one of the biggest fans of Digital Video.  It has allowed me to remain creative without having to worry too much about the financial resources. However, growing up and learning filmmaking in Cuba provided excellent training in achieving great results under the most difficult conditions.  The stories I like are usually dark. I consider myself a hybrid I like to mix several genres, drama, science fiction, noir, etc. But always being consistent throughout, I’m obsessed with creating an atmosphere using all the elements (sound, color, editing) that this medium provides you.

Cinema Eye: You describe yourself as the worlds biggest DV fan. Do you run into many film snobs that think DV is beneath them? What is your response to those people?

Coyula: Well, yes there are a lot of people like that. I really don’t care. Even if I had the budget to shoot in 35mm I would still use DV and use the money on other areas of the production.  I shot a film in 35mm, and frankly I didn’t enjoy the experience very much. There is a lot of pressure with running out of film, lots of people needed to operate everything, and EVERYTHING is very time consuming, and to what end? To achieve a “film texture”? I mean c�mon! For me a film is much more than that.  Another pro: film technology is stuck, but DV keeps improving and revolutionizing all the time, who knows where it will be in 10 years, it’s really unstoppable.