Abstract

This research creation thesis is composed of the film TIGERS CAN BE SEEN IN THE RAIN and the film-in-progress DUERMEVELA, along with a written component that reflects upon the thoughts and processes behind both films. The making of these works and my reflections on and around them, embody my search for alternative methods in film directing and writing. The two creative projects have their distinct singularities, but also many similarities and continuities. Both deploy image and sound archives, and engage with human presence/absence, as well as ways of working with non-actors, which is at the center of my preoccupations. This research proposes other ways in which films can be conceived, and seeks to question how, at times, even when we have enormous treasures in front our eyes and ears, we remain limited by traditional structures and methods, undermining other possibilities offered by the Art of Cinema, which is still so young and so eager for renewal. In addition, some essential concepts of cinema are discussed, revisiting ideas from other authors who sought—among other things—to clearly distinguish cinema from theater, as have Andrei Tarkovsky, Robert Bresson and Abbas Kiarostami. The concepts of Photogénie and The Aura, respectively by Jean Epstein and Walter Benjamin, are discussed and related to the goal to achieve when embarking on working with non-actors. A methodology for working with non-actors is proposed, which not only contributes to direct the emotions to be conveyed on screen, but also to the constant rewriting of a projected universe.