Natalia Garagiola is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the writer-director of shorts “Rincón de López,” which screened at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, and “Yeguas y Cotorras” (“Mares and Parakeets”), which premiered at Critics’ Week at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. “Sundays,” a short she co-wrote and co-directed with Kræsten Kusk, was selected for Cannes 2014’s Directors’ Fortnight. “Hunting Season” is her solo feature directorial debut.
“Hunting Season” will premiere at the 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week in competition on September 2.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
NG: “Hunting Season” is an intimate portrait of an unconventional father-son relationship, set up in the Southern woods of Argentinian Patagonia.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
NG: I don’t recall anymore whether it was a dream or an image that simply manifested itself and left a mark in my memory. The image was that of two men, a young one and an older one, wrapped up in a fist fight. Seen from a distance, it seemed like a dance that ended in a hug. Outside, a snow blizzard.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
NG: When the film is over, I would like the audience to revisit their own relationships — their own personal family dynamics — under different optics.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
NG: My greatest challenge was that of adjusting and adapting to the different situations that rose during the shooting — many of them far from a pretended ideal scenario — and be able to make progress.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
NG: I developed “Hunting Season” together with Argentine production company Rei Cine. The producers worked very hard to finance this film, taking it to several laboratories and workshops that injected new energy and thought into the screenplay. It was here that we found our partners in the film, ranging from the U.S. (Gamechanger Films) to Germany (augenschein Filmproduktion) and France (Les Films de l’Étranger) to Qatar.
The film was supported by many funds without whom we wouldn’t have been able to produce it. Fortunately, our country has a very valuable Cinema Law that, year by year, supports the emergence of new cinema all over the country through the national film board: Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA). Other support came from: Doha Film Institute, TorinoFilmLab, World Cinema Fund, and Strasbourg-Eurométropole, amongst many others.
Last but not least, “Hunting Season” was co-financed by NY-based Gamechanger Films, a private fund focused on female filmmakers. This was their first investment in a film outside the U.S.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at the Venice Film Festival?
NG: Being the oldest A-list festival in the world, it’s an immense honor for us all. Premiering the film in a context filled with such prestigious filmmakers is nothing short of the best possible outcome after so many years of hard work.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
NG: The best: “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”
The worst: “Fake it until you make it” — nothing good can actually come out of it.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
NG: Trust in your crew; cinema is pure teamwork.
Also, think fast and always move forward.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
NG: Considering there’s such a vast scope of female filmmakers I respect and films that have meant so much to me, I’d rather mention a contemporary series, considering its impact for female filmmakers all across the globe: “Top of the Lake” by Jane Campion.
W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.
NG: I honestly don’t feel it is something to wait for but rather something to act on. Women filmmakers must keep making good films and that will create a progressive but certain effect, as it’s already happening: Every day I see women in the film industry fighting for their own opportunities rather than waiting for those to be handed [to them]. There’s still a lot of work to be done but we’re making progress. That is my starting point as a filmmaker.
