The Chilean film La casa will hit Peruvian cinemas this Thursday, November 25 to captivate us all with the scenes and plot of the story. The synopsis narrates the sudden visit of a carabinero, a Chilean policeman, to a large house in which the neighbors have heard strange noises. This experience turns into a paranormal adventure that you will not be able to forget.
The film’s director, Jorge Olguín, spoke with La República to tell us more details about what the Chilean production will be, in which he once again reflects his passion for the fantasy genre. In that sense, he highlighted the film’s production process from its inception down to the smallest details.
This movie, unlike the others, has involved you in more than one area of work. The context of the film was set in the Chilean dictatorship, in the 80s.
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How did the idea of working on the film La casa come about?
Everything arose from an idea from my production company that saw that I was stuck in another bigger project, still unfinished. She challenged me to develop a fast movie. In that we began to look for ideas and we found the urban legend of the paranormal house in Santiago de Chile and it was taking shape. There we decided to make the film in sequence shot and shoot it in three nights. Then it was a challenge because I practically did most of the post production. In a way, the post-process was to our liking. The film has been presented at festivals in various cities. In addition to all that, we continue to receive very good comments on the different platforms it is playing on.
How was the experience of recording La casa?
It was like running a 100 meter dash because the shooting was short, but very intense. We had, as I already mentioned, only three days of recording and the slightest mistake involved doing everything again. It was necessary to coordinate with all the areas so that it was almost perfect. For this reason, I decided to do the camera and photography, apart from the direction. We recreated another house in Valparaíso for some scenes that also had its own legends and stories. There all the internal scenes of the film were recorded.
Are there any anecdotes about the filming?
Yes, an event occurred with one of the actresses who plays the character of Camila Carreño, who came to the set and fainted. She couldn’t explain it herself. It came in, passed out, and couldn’t roll to the point that we had to replace it. We had to change actresses. That happened in the house. We assume it was because of the location where we are filming.
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What is the peculiarity of the movie The House?
What is particular is the film itself because it is the smallest I made, but also the most organic and direct. It was thought and recorded. That makes it more sincere and without much process. In addition, how it is recorded in sequence is, practically, a theatrical work. Another important detail is the actor who is Gabriel Cañas and is from the theater. Everything was being built at the time. Besides, it was a personal challenge because of all the work I did for this movie.
What expectations do you have with La casa?
Due to the pandemic that we are going through and, therefore, the context that we live in, it is a great wish that it be shown in theaters so that viewers can enjoy the sensory terror that we have worked with. My greatest desires are based on them going to the rooms to live the experience.
How did you get to the movies?
My interest in cinema arises since I was a child, when they took me to entertain me, when I went to theaters. I consider that my father used my sister and me as an excuse to go to the movies, especially to see fantastic films, and that was my influence. When I got home, I pretended to make the movies without the slightest knowledge. As I grew up I discovered details of how movies were made and I was amazed. In addition, I immersed myself in the library to search for information and began to do my experiments. At that time, everything was very complicated in Chile due to the context we lived in and it was impossible to study film. That is why I entered a career in journalism and some time later an opportunity presented itself that I did not miss. There, I made my first pininos and I was delighted. From there everything begins.
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What is the reason for the predilection for the horror genre in your films?
It is a good answer. As a child I was very afraid of the dark and my grandfather gave me a black and white television in 1980, where I watched horror stories. So, I started to overcome my fear because I started to draw my own monsters. All this has helped me to reflect aspects and terrors of Chilean society and how I perceive it. In every movie, that is reflected consciously or unconsciously.
Have you had paranormal experiences?
To be honest, I am quite skeptical in that regard. I am baptized Catholic, but I have a lot of respect for him. I make horror movies, but I don’t think those things happen. With respect to the paranormal, the same thing happens; however, I must admit that strange things happened in this movie like fallen objects and the production was affected by the place. So much so that we had to bring in an expert we knew to help us.
What is your biggest dream?
Making cinema in Latin America is already a dream, much more in my genre. 20 years of experience is also a dream. My next movie will also be a dream and so on. The biggest dream of all is to continue making movies.
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Who do you admire?
I admire many filmmakers who have influenced me because I have enjoyed and continue to do their works. Some of them are Alfred Hichcock because he is very essential, like Stanley Kubrik because he is one of the most formal and rigorous out there. Similarly, I also admire John Carpenter, who is an American who revolutionized horror movies. They are the three of them who I always turn to to see their movies again and again.
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