Cristina Gallego is a producer, editor, and director. Through her production company Ciudad Lunar she produced “La Sombra del Caminante,” “The Wind Journeys,” and “Embrace of the Serpent.” She also produced “Sister of Mine,” “Ruben Blades is Not My Name,” and “Wajib.” “Birds of Passage” was shortlisted for the 2019 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and will be released February 13.
“Birds of Passage” premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 26. The film is co-directed by Ciro Guerra.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
CG: “Birds of Passage” is a tragedy — a mix between a gangster film and magical realism. Set in the beginning of narco trafficking in Colombia, it’s the story of a family in a traditional matriarchal society that will destroy itself with the arrival of savage capitalism.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
CG: Many things. The challenge to talk about a subject that was a taboo for Colombian cinema — all the films and TV series about it has been done from outside — while at the same there was this perception that all the Colombian films were about narcos and that our representation as Colombians was associated with drugs and terrorism. But we had the feeling that we hadn’t told the history from our point of view and shown what it means for our society.
On the other side, I had a desire to do a kind of gangster like the classics that I adore. I liked the idea of exploring a genre that used to be a male world from the female perspective.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
CG: That they cannot judge Colombians. That maybe if they had been in the same place, they would have acted the same way.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
CG: Transcending the fear. In terms of direction, finding the balance between the spiritual and “real” world in a place and culture that was full of mystery without becoming crazy. And in terms of production, it was the most difficult shoot that we have ever had — including sand storms and electrical storms in the desert. At some point we thought the film was cursed. In the end it made a better film in visual and dramatic aspects, but it was so hard to do.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
CG: It was a co-production between four countries, with private and public funds. The majority parts were financed from Colombia and Mexico.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
CG: The power that happens when moving images plus ideas come together.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
CG: Two in one: “You have no experience to do that. You are going to fail and break.”
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
CG: We need support between us to gain confidence and bring out our vision fearlessly
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
When I saw “Te doy mis ojos” (“Take My Eyes”) by Icíar Bollaín in 2004, I loved it and felt connected in that moment, for first time, with a female director and her point of view.
W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
CG: There an effort in each country to bring out and give visibility to our histories in front of and behind the camera, and we can talk and discuss the challenges to bring out our voices. I have the feeling that by sharing our difficulties and how we solved them, many other women can take the steps to empower themselves.
Also, it is great to see, on a higher level, the amount of stories driven by female characters, which are getting good responses from audiences too.
