top of page

Vittoria: An Interview with Julien Barlan

Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Vittoria’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?

During my time in Film School, I had the chance of meeting enthusiastic students and professors. As I learned the crafts of screenwriting and directing, I was privileged to collaborate with my fellow students and friends. This gave me the opportunity to make my first two short films: God Made Me In Dublin (2019) and Cuando Las Ovejas Quieren Ser Toros (2020). Since graduation I’ve continued my filmmaking journey with Vittoria.


Tell us about ‘Vittoria’. How do you describe it?

Vittoria is a film about family, religion and societal expectations. It aims to expose hypocritical behaviors by placing its narrative at the heart of the “perfect” family. Vittoria aims to challenge the biases of our society, by exposing our own hypocritical behaviors.



Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.

As I’ve grown into my filmmaking journey, I’ve come to realize the power of embracing a personal approach to it. Ingmar Bergman and Martin Scorsese’s gargantuan body of work have not only taught me the power of introspection, they’ve also become a perpetual source of inspiration. Their highly impressive technical achievements and philosophical explorations have cemented them as my undisputed idols.


If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?

With a good budget in hand, my ideal project would be an Odyssean journey through my hometown of Mexico City. I want to explore the depths of human selfishness and fanaticism through an antihero that perpetually pushes his moral limits in order to achieve his goals.


Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?

A well prepared and flexible preproduction is key to a production that doesn’t go over schedule. By allocating the right amount of time to acting and camera rehearsals, I’ll be able to create a functioning shooting plan. Nevertheless, real life events will inevitably have their impacts during the production phase, and as a Director, I’ve learned to be flexible and embrace such events.



What was the hardest part of making ‘Vittoria’.

During the production of Vittoria, the schedule of night shoots combined with a company move from the center of Pennsylvania back to New York City were by far the most challenging parts. Nevertheless, Vittoria’s production remained very amicable due to the extensive preproduction work that allowed us to tackle all challenges with ease.


If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?

Currently, I’m in the postproduction phase of my next short film, Irreparable, where I had the pleasure of working for a second time with Vittoria’s main actress, Anastasia Mirabelle. In addition, I’m developing the script of two feature films. The first being an Odyssean journey through Mexico City, and the second an exploration of the world of Mexican regional music

Comments


bottom of page