SHUTTER
a film by Alejandro Lalinde
In the summer of 2003, I began to dwell on the idea of a man gripping with himself and the forces around him. I foresaw a journey, one that reached vast distances of the mind.
My films deal with the psyche. I explore my own psyche through my characters. It is my way of coping through life. With this character, I envisioned obstacles that were mounting on top of one another. Sometimes, I feel as if the whole world is resting on my shoulders, and everything depends on decisions and actions. So I began to ponder how a character would deal with such choices in his own way.
He would be an extension of me.
So, his solution would be to leave everything behind, literally. I have the same thoughts at times, and so I began to make the connection with most of the Beat writers of the 40â??s and 50â??s. These were writers such as Jack Kerouac, who would literally run away from their troubles, trying to find a new meaning to life.
Characters such as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty from Kerouacâ??s On the Road simply embodied my character. He too feels trapped, isolated and makes the sole decision to leave everything behind. Get out. Find a new path.
A writer by the name of Chris Calzia was brought on to help me develop a short story involving such an incident. We talked and figured the basic character, Alan. A man with a lot of problems, wanting a quick painless solution: to take a cab out of civilization, away from his problems, his stress, his worries, away from people.
As a visual artist, I saw this journey taking off from the crowded city and into the desolate desert, where there is no one. We finished a first draft of the script in a couple of weeks, but was unhappy with the ending, because there was no ending. Heâ??s in the desert, heâ??s alone, heâ??s accomplished his goal, but for what? There was no answer still.
We stopped writing.
One night, while looking over the script, a horrifying image came into my mind. I saw my character alone, in the desert, and on his knees. About thirty yards away were what appeared to be journalists. Their arms were tied behind their back and they were on their knees. In front of each of them was a shallow hole, much like a grave, which they had dug. Two soldiers, holding AK-47 rifles stood near them. Alan now kneeling and seeing this scene is without words, because another soldier is holding a gun to his head, and yelling to him, to take a photograph of the execution of every one of these journalists. It was to be a photograph for all to see and would be considered to be a photograph that all of humanity would recall. Much like the Vietnam photographs taken of the child running from napalm, and of the man standing before the Chinese tank; a photograph that would speak to others.
This would be Alanâ??s destinyâ??to capture this moment.
Soon thereafter the script was given a complete overhaul. I brought in yet another good friend and colleague, Frances Vieras to help me develop the script from the perspective of Alan as a combat journalist and photographer. It was to be Alanâ??s profession that would lead him to leave his wife, his job, and even himself, in order to feel free.
As Frances and I started to work, we began to see the film developing a new premise. A premise that means: fate leads lives. We questioned fate vs. choice. What is fate? Are our lives determined by a higher power? Do we lead our lives or is there a set path that we must all take which leads us to our destiny?
In discussing these themes, I saw Alanâ??s choices as steps. They advanced toward his destiny. Though he does evade fate and delineate from his supposed route by taking control of his life, he inevitably ends where he was destined to end. A new character corrects his path and sends him toward his ultimate destiny, the capturing of the photograph. This new character was first conceived in the first draft. He is Neil, the cab driver.
Frances and I discussed Neilâ??s place in Alanâ??s life. We both saw him as a spiritual guide. One who is to direct Alan toward his destined point, but one who also assists Alan with his problems. He is a spiritual healer of sorts and could almost be defined as a Shaman.
This script I believe is a revelation, a mirror image toward the chaos in todayâ??s world. Media in todayâ??s society is censored. Sometimes, for just reasons, but sometimes it is censored toward the wrong ones.
Media is power.
It brings information to the masses, which determines actions to be taken, especially in a democracy. There are countries in the world where horrible events are taking place. People do not want to watch such things. They would rather avert their eyes then realize the truth. The truth is that these events are occurring in countries like Rwanda, Liberia, Colombia, Pakistan, the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, everywhere around the world, but the news is not reaching others who are blind to such horrors.
Ignorance inflames such acts. Realization enlightens them.
-----------
Alejandro Lalinde
grey.street.films
"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."
-Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)
a film by Alejandro Lalinde
In the summer of 2003, I began to dwell on the idea of a man gripping with himself and the forces around him. I foresaw a journey, one that reached vast distances of the mind.
My films deal with the psyche. I explore my own psyche through my characters. It is my way of coping through life. With this character, I envisioned obstacles that were mounting on top of one another. Sometimes, I feel as if the whole world is resting on my shoulders, and everything depends on decisions and actions. So I began to ponder how a character would deal with such choices in his own way.
He would be an extension of me.
So, his solution would be to leave everything behind, literally. I have the same thoughts at times, and so I began to make the connection with most of the Beat writers of the 40â??s and 50â??s. These were writers such as Jack Kerouac, who would literally run away from their troubles, trying to find a new meaning to life.
Characters such as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty from Kerouacâ??s On the Road simply embodied my character. He too feels trapped, isolated and makes the sole decision to leave everything behind. Get out. Find a new path.
A writer by the name of Chris Calzia was brought on to help me develop a short story involving such an incident. We talked and figured the basic character, Alan. A man with a lot of problems, wanting a quick painless solution: to take a cab out of civilization, away from his problems, his stress, his worries, away from people.
As a visual artist, I saw this journey taking off from the crowded city and into the desolate desert, where there is no one. We finished a first draft of the script in a couple of weeks, but was unhappy with the ending, because there was no ending. Heâ??s in the desert, heâ??s alone, heâ??s accomplished his goal, but for what? There was no answer still.
We stopped writing.
One night, while looking over the script, a horrifying image came into my mind. I saw my character alone, in the desert, and on his knees. About thirty yards away were what appeared to be journalists. Their arms were tied behind their back and they were on their knees. In front of each of them was a shallow hole, much like a grave, which they had dug. Two soldiers, holding AK-47 rifles stood near them. Alan now kneeling and seeing this scene is without words, because another soldier is holding a gun to his head, and yelling to him, to take a photograph of the execution of every one of these journalists. It was to be a photograph for all to see and would be considered to be a photograph that all of humanity would recall. Much like the Vietnam photographs taken of the child running from napalm, and of the man standing before the Chinese tank; a photograph that would speak to others.
This would be Alanâ??s destinyâ??to capture this moment.
Soon thereafter the script was given a complete overhaul. I brought in yet another good friend and colleague, Frances Vieras to help me develop the script from the perspective of Alan as a combat journalist and photographer. It was to be Alanâ??s profession that would lead him to leave his wife, his job, and even himself, in order to feel free.
As Frances and I started to work, we began to see the film developing a new premise. A premise that means: fate leads lives. We questioned fate vs. choice. What is fate? Are our lives determined by a higher power? Do we lead our lives or is there a set path that we must all take which leads us to our destiny?
In discussing these themes, I saw Alanâ??s choices as steps. They advanced toward his destiny. Though he does evade fate and delineate from his supposed route by taking control of his life, he inevitably ends where he was destined to end. A new character corrects his path and sends him toward his ultimate destiny, the capturing of the photograph. This new character was first conceived in the first draft. He is Neil, the cab driver.
Frances and I discussed Neilâ??s place in Alanâ??s life. We both saw him as a spiritual guide. One who is to direct Alan toward his destined point, but one who also assists Alan with his problems. He is a spiritual healer of sorts and could almost be defined as a Shaman.
This script I believe is a revelation, a mirror image toward the chaos in todayâ??s world. Media in todayâ??s society is censored. Sometimes, for just reasons, but sometimes it is censored toward the wrong ones.
Media is power.
It brings information to the masses, which determines actions to be taken, especially in a democracy. There are countries in the world where horrible events are taking place. People do not want to watch such things. They would rather avert their eyes then realize the truth. The truth is that these events are occurring in countries like Rwanda, Liberia, Colombia, Pakistan, the Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, everywhere around the world, but the news is not reaching others who are blind to such horrors.
Ignorance inflames such acts. Realization enlightens them.
-----------
Alejandro Lalinde
grey.street.films
"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."
-Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)